~*~
“I can’t believe this. You got us suspended before the day even started!”
“I got us suspended?” Spike snorted derisively. “Takes two to tango, Blondie.”
“Yeah, but—“
“An’ besides,” he continued, “Technically, we didn’t get suspended.”
“What are you talking about? Snyder stood there and said—“
“That you were suspended,” Spike said with a smirk. “Didn’t say anythin’ ‘bout me.”
He regretted teasing her a second later when she punched his arm. “Ow!” he yelped, holding the spot. “Bloody hell, Slayer. Tryin’ to put me out of action?”
“If it means you stop being ego-guy, yeah,” she replied pertly.
“Y’know, any other chit ‘d be glad for a vacation,” he grumbled. “Why can’t you be?”
“Because I have to spend it in the house all day with you!” she yelled. Several passerby gave her odd looks, but her glares made them hurry on soon enough.
Spike stopped and rolled his eyes, leaning against a lightpost. “You are, without a doubt, the strangest person ‘ve ever had the doubtful pleasure of talking to.”
She scowled at him for the insult but cocked her head curiously, saying, “’splainey?”
“You don’t have to stay in the house,” he told her. “Hell, you don’t even have to stay in Sunnydale ‘f you don’t want to. You’ve got a fifteen day vacation.”
She was the only person who could look stupefied when he stated the obvious. “I can?”
“Well, yeah.”
Her eyes slowly widened as a devilish awareness came into them. “Go anywhere I want…do anything I want…for fifteen days.”
“That’s pretty much the size of it.”
A grin spread across her face and, quick as lightning, she grabbed his hand and tugged him down the street.
“’ey! Watch it, Slayer! Where the bloody hell are we going?”
Her eyes were glinting more than it ought to be proper for a hero-type when she said, “Shopping.”
~*~
She was evil. That was the only explanation.
Spike had been dragged all over town, from store to store, and not once had they been stores that he’d actually wanted to go in. Jewelry stores, girly clothes stores, once a Babies R Us—but never any store where a bloke could find somethin’ interesting to do.
Now it was almost six in the evening, and they’d taken a break to eat at the food court in the mall. Buffy was sipping a milk shake and pouting at Spike. “Come on, please? We haven’t even hit the good stores yet.”
Spike shook his head resolutely. “We’ve been at this all day. ‘m tired of it.”
“Spi-ike,” she whined, pouting at him.
He’d managed to avoid touching her, kissing her, since they’d been sitting in the car. Now he wanted to jump her in the sodding food court. Shit. “No, Buffy,” he snapped, more harshly than he’d intended.
She instantly dropped her eyes, lips thinning. “Fine then. Be that way.”
“Bloody—“ He rolled his eyes up to the ceiling. Whoever’s listenin’—mind givin’ me some patience? “Buffy, ‘s not that I don’t like it when you drag me from one girly store to the next for nine hours, but you realize we haven’t gone in a single store I actually wanted to go in?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I thought guys didn’t like shopping.”
“’s not all ‘bout buying clothes and jewelry, love. Bet there are stores in Sunnydale you’ve never even given a second glance.” He smiled condescendingly at her, inwardly praying she’d take the bait.
She did. “Oh, please. You’ve only been in Sunnydale for three days. Like you could show me anything I haven’t already seen.”
He cocked an eyebrow at her. “Wanna make a bet on that?”
Spike absolutely loved it when she tilted her nose in the air like that. “You’re on,” his Slayer said snootily.
He felt himself smile. “Right, then,” he said slyly. “Close your eyes an’ follow me.”
“What?” Buffy asked, utterly appalled. “I’m not going to—“
“Oh, c’mon, Slayer,” Spike whined. “’s daylight, not like ‘m gonna take you to be eaten by a bunch of vamps.”
“I’d feel them anyway,” she retorted. “But either way, I don’t trust you as far as I can throw the bathtub.”
He snorted. “You could toss it ‘cross town an’ we both know it.”
“Well, okay, fine.” He had the satisfaction of seeing her roll her eyes before huffing impatiently and, crossing her arms, closed her eyes.
He grinned and took her hand, glad for a chance to touch her—and surprised when, contrary to what he’d figured would happen, she just squeezed his fingers and allowed herself to be led down the sidewalk.
They probably made a rather odd pair, but he knew that in a town like Sunnydale, hardly anyone would notice and no one would care. Couldn’t possibly be stranger than seein’ pale people dart about under blankets all the sodding time.
Down two blocks and one to the right—she was starting to get antsy. He didn’t blame her, really; ‘f she’d tried to put him through what he was forcing her to put up with he’d have probably refused. Still, he was glad she hadn’t. He’d caught sight of this little shop on their way to the high school, and he was determined to visit it. The fact that she was along for the ride just made it that much more fun.
He led her to the entrance of the shop and then, caressing the inside of her palm with his thumb, he said, “A’right, you can open your eyes.”
The second those alert hazel eyes snapped open and read the sign on the shop, he knew he was in for a bit of a fight. “Fenwick’s Used Book Store?” she said in disbelief. “Are you kidding me?”
“Bet you didn’t know it existed, did you?” he asked smugly.
“Well—okay, no,” she admitted, “But why would I want to know about some musty old bookstore.”
He could barely believe his ears. “Musty old bookstore? You’re starin’ at a treasure trove, luv.”
“A treasure trove.” She was blatantly skeptic, but at least she wasn’t makin’ fun of him.
“Hell, yes. Anything could be in there. These aren’t just shiny new books, fresh outta the factory without even a good history to recommend ‘em. These are books with history, with souls, with—“ Suddenly he stopped, embarrassed. Right, then. William the God-Awful Ponce, front an’ center.
“You were a huge geek when you were littler, weren’t you?” she said, looking at him thoughtfully.
He knew what she’d say—knew he was settin’ himself up for any number of cutting insults to be delivered by her—but he couldn’t stop himself from telling her the truth. “Well, I did have Giles for a Watcher,” he replied as lightly as he could. “An’…well…yeah. Till I was ‘bout fifteen, I was a little wanker.”
“What happened then?”
“Same thing that happened to you, I guess. Some vamp tossed me on my ass, an’ I grew up.”
For a second she was silent; he prayed she wouldn’t start tossing insults at him. Ponce he may be, but he honestly didn’t like fighting with her constantly. A lot of the time, yeah, but not all the time.
“Okay,” she said finally, smiling a little. “Let’s go in, then.”
He stared at her. “You’re not gonna rib me?”
“Oh, please.” She rolled her eyes at him playfully. “Do you even remember meeting Willow?”
Well, she had a point. He grinned and followed her in.
~*~
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks so much for all the wonderful reviews! *hugs* It's great to know you guys are enjoying this =D