“Dru, can’t this wait?!?” Spike yelled from the back as Dru pulled into the grocery store parking lot.
“No! I’ve told you a hundred times, mom and dad said to buy groceries and for us to cook. They don’t want us eating only junk while their away.”
Spike kicked the seat and threw his head back.
“Can’t you take me home first?”
“Spike, I’m already here! It would be wasting gas to drive all the way home and come back. I’m not gonna be long.”
“Why do you want to get home so bad? Angel’s there remember?”
Spike’s teeth clenched.
That was the exact reason why he wanted to get home.
His heart was pounding, he hand to get home. He was contemplating how far of a walk it was when Lorne said his name.
“Why did you ask Harmony out and then break up with her the same day?”
Spike shrugged.
“Have you ever met Harmony?”
Lorne just laughed.
“Yeah. But you asked her out.”
“I was an idiot. It was a moment of pure insanity.”
“You thought she might give you some, didn’t you? Did she prove you wrong? Is that why you dumped her?”
Spike looked at Lorne and then back out the window, his brow furrowed.
He hadn’t even thought about that. His only reason for asking Harmony out was to make Buffy jealous, he hadn’t even thought of trying to get her in bed. In retrospect, Harmony had been trying to get him to sneak out with her all night and his only thoughts were Buffy. Here was one of the hottest girls in school practically throwing herself at him and his only thoughts were of making Buffy jealous.
Well.
______________________________________________________________________________
“I wonder where they are?”
Buffy looked at the clock, the school wasn’t that far from the Howard’s house.
“Dru said she had to stop by the store earlier.” Angel told her.
“Oh.”
She leaned back into the couch, turning to face Angel.
“So-” She clapped her hands together. “What do you want to talk about?”
Angel laughed and shook his head.
“I don’t know. What do you want to talk about?”
Buffy shrugged.
“Well, do you have a boyfriend?”
An image swam behind her eyes, but she stomped it down, turning to face Angel with a big fake smile.
“Nope. Girlfriend?”
Her looked away, but not before Buffy could see the sadness etched across his face.
“No.”
“But there is somebody.”
He turned to look at her, his eyes glassy. He nodded his head, his voice small.
“Yeah. There is.”
She turned to sit sideways on the couch facing him.
“Wanna talk about it? I had my share time earlier.”
He smiled and turned to face her, also sitting sideways on the cushions. He shrugged his shoulders, picking at a string on the bottom of his frayed jeans.
“Not much to talk about, I guess. I love her, but- everything is so complicated.”
“What’s her name?”
“Darla.”
“That’s pretty.”
He smiled, love shining through his eyes.
“Yeah, it suits her.”
“Does she know how you feel?”
He shrugged. “I’m the captain of the football team, Buffy. I have certain responsibilities that I have too-”
“And she’s a nobody.”
His eyes shot to her face as understanding creeped into her. He sighed and nodded his head, looking away.
“But you love her, right? Isn’t that all that matters?”
He covered his face with his hands, his fingers.
“It’s not that easy.”
“Why not?”
He wiped his hands across his face, bringing them down into his lap.
“You don’t understand the pressure I’m under. God, Buffy! I just- It’s just like this thing with Lorne and Spike. I love those boys. Just like they were my own little brothers and now? They hate me.” His eyes became watery and he looked away.
“Why?”
“Because they think that I threw them away. That I didn’t want to spend time with them anymore. And that’s not what happened, Buffy.”
“Well, what happened?”
“I’m on a football scholarship. One slip and I’m gone.” He shook his head, running his fingers through his hair. “My dad, God, my dad- I can’t do anything. “
His voice went deep, with a slight Irish lilt.
“ ‘ You’re job is on the field! Not out here dicking around with a bunch of kids!’ ”
He shook his head and flopped back against the couch.
“Have you tried to explain that to them?”
“They won’t listen to me. I had to sneak over here the other day to see them and they were gone. It’s ridiculous, Buffy.” He sat up and faced her once again. “I’m twenty years old, a man, I should be able to make my own decisions!”
“Then why don’t you? Are you afraid of him?”
He looked away from her.
“You’re afraid of him aren’t you?”
“No.” He shook his head firmly. “It’s not that.”
“Then what is it?”
“I’m afraid of disappointing him.”
She smiled and took his hands.
“He’s your father, Angel. He may get mad at you or not agree with the choices you make, but I’m sure that he’ll be proud of you, no matter what.” She shook her head, a sarcastic laugh bubbling from her throat. “I know that might sound crazy coming from me, but it sounds like he just wants what’s best for you. Or what he thinks is best for you.”
He nodded his head.
“Maybe you should try talking to him. Are you in a dorm?”
“No, I’m at home.”
“Yeah, that would make more sense with the controlling part.”
He laughed with her.
“Yeah.”
“And this Darla?” He looked up at her once again. “Don’t let it get away. Especially not because of what you think other people may think. Like you said, you’re the captain of the football team, a leader. You do have pressure on you, but don’t let it control you. Listen to your heart, not other people.”
Her own words echoed in her ears. She could see Spike’s face, the way his eyes twinkled when he looked at her.
Angel brushed his hand against her cheek, bringing her back to reality.
“Thank you.”
She smiled at him.
“Now we’re even.”
He laughed and pulled her into his arms. She tightened her arms around him and closed her eyes. She had found a good friend in Angel.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here?”
Shit.
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