Chapter 37
“Good morning, honey. How do you feel today?”
Buffy sighed and glanced at her mother, who was making breakfast. “I’m fine, just like I have been for the last three weeks since I got back from the hospital. Now, could you try and tell him that?”
Joyce smiled and shook her head. “Having problems?”
Buffy sat down at the counter. “I love Spike to death, but I’m going to kill him. He’s driving me insane. He wants to come with me everywhere. You don’t know how hard it was to talk him into not coming to school with me. Hey, this isn’t funny,” she said when her mother started to laugh. “I’m serious here, Mom. He talked about dropping out of college, so he could go to school with me full time.” She pouted and looked at the clock on the microwave. “He should be here in about five, four, three, two...” She pointed to the back door; right before Spike came strolling into the house.
He just graced them with a smile.
Buffy glared at her once again laughing mother. “Yeah, I’m sure you’re just loving this.”
Spike didn’t know what they were talking about and walked over to Buffy, placing a kiss on the top of her head. “Morning, what’s for breakfast?” he said and was confused when Buffy dropped her head onto the counter. She was mumbling something that he couldn’t make out and looked to Joyce for help. “Was it something I said?”
Joyce only smiled and went back to the pancakes that she was making.
* * * * *
“I’ve got it all worked out, love,” Spike explained, following Buffy into her room. “I can join you at school in the morning because I don’t have classes, until the afternoon. Then I can go to my classes and still make it back to your school before you get out.” He started talking about what else he could do, but Buffy just about had enough.
She threw her hands up in the air. “Spike, you really have to stop this. I love you, but you’re giving me a migraine,” she told him and sat down on her bed, rubbing her head in the process.
Spike was concerned and sat down next to her. “Your head hurts? Do you need some aspirin?”
Buffy groaned and glanced back at him. “I don’t need aspirin. I need you to leave me alone.” She felt guilty when she noticed the hurt look on his face. “Sorry, that’s not what I meant. I just mean that all of this is too much. I love that you always want to be with me, but it’s just not possible. I’m a big girl, Spike. I can take care of myself, been doing it way before you came into my life. I’m grateful for everything that you’ve done for me, but you need to give me some space here. You can’t go with me to school. How would that look? My reputation is already bad enough as it is.”
Spike turned away from her.
Buffy grabbed his hand. “I’m not trying to hurt you, sweetie. You have to realize that following me around everywhere is a little crazy. Hey, look at me.”
He finally raised his eyes to hers again.
She caressed his cheek. “I’m right here, Spike. I promise I’m not going away anytime soon. I’m not going to disappear just because you’re not around. I’ll always be here, okay?”
Spike took a deep breath. “Yeah, I know that. I just worry about you.”
Buffy nodded and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “I like that you worry. You just need to not worry so much.”
Spike agreed and felt embarrassed when he thought about the way he behaved the last few weeks. “I guess I did get a little crazy.”
Buffy laughed and rolled her eyes. “A little crazy? You’ve been coming over every morning to make sure that I got out of bed okay, then you picked out the clothes for me to wear that day. I would say that’s more than a little crazy.”
Spike shrugged and didn’t realize he was that bad. “I just didn’t want you to wear anything too revealing. That could lead to trouble.”
Buffy raised her eyebrows. “You have seen my closet, right? I have clothes that nuns could wear. There’s hardly anything revealing. You wanna find something slutty, look in Harmony’s closet. I only wore that outfit she loaned me once. I gave it right back and I’m never touching her clothes again.”
Spike smiled and put his arm around her. “It did look pretty good on you, but you could wear a garbage bag and still be the most gorgeous woman ever.”
Buffy blushed at his comment.
Spike loved that he still had that effect on her. “Well, I best be off now,” he said suddenly and stood up.
“You’re leaving already?”
Spike smiled at her. “I wouldn’t want to crowd you. I might see you later today, or maybe I won’t. I happen to be pretty busy,” he told her with a wink, then left the room.
She glared at his retreating back. He was truly evil sometimes.
* * * * *
Buffy was moping downstairs later that day, bored out of her mind.
“I didn’t think he would actually take me this seriously. I just didn’t want him to come to school with me. He could have stayed here a little longer.”
Dawn rolled her eyes and was trying to watch a movie, but Buffy’s sulking was starting to get to her. “You could just go next door.”
Buffy shook her head. “I’m so not giving in. He’ll be back eventually.” She tried to convince herself.
Dawn nodded and continued to watch the television.
Buffy couldn’t get into it and had enough about an hour later. “This is ridiculous. I’m just gonna go over there,” she said and stood up, heading to the front door. She opened it and found Spike on the other side.
He gave her a smile. “You wanna get out of the house for a bit?”
Buffy smiled back at him. “God, yes,” she replied and grabbed her jacket, walking out of the house with him.
Dawn rolled her eyes again as she watched her sister leave with her boyfriend. “I must be the only normal one in this family,” she said to herself and went back to her movie, happy to finally have some alone time.