Spike woke in the late afternoon with to the sensation of elephants stomping through his head. He sat up, clutching his head in his hands.
Well, Spike admonished himself, that’s what you get for downing two bottles of alcohol. He staggered out of the hotel bed to his duster on the floor, and fished through the pockets for Advil. He popped two in his mouth and swallowed them dry. Somehow he managed to make it back under the covers, when his cell phone rang obnoxiously loud.
Spike yanked the phone open, “What?”
“Hello Spike, nice to hear you too,” Giles said wryly.
Spike rubbed his head, “Bloody hell, what do you need?”
Giles sighed, “You were supposed to be here an hour ago.”
Spike immediately sought out the digital clock and swore at the blurry numbers.
“I’ll be there soon,” Spike promised and hung up without another word.
He quickly shoved his pants and shirt on, not caring they were the same pair from yesterday. He ran a comb through his hair with gel and finally put his beloved black leather duster on, jamming his feet into his boots on the way out the door.
The minute he stepped out into the Californian sun, Spike let out a loud curse. He’d forgotten how little he cared for the sun and had enjoyed the more cloudy days in New York. He walked as quickly as he could to his car despite his hung-over status, and left the hotel parking lot with a loud screech of his tires.
As he drove towards the center of Sunnydale, the first thing he noticed was how little the town had changed from when he’d first moved there almost 9 year ago. As he passed by the Sunnydale Middle School, he found himself remembering the first time he ever met Buffy Summers
Spike still couldn’t believe he had to start his last year before high school at Sunny-bloody-dale Middle School Especially with his ponce of a cousin, Angel.
They were walking to the school with some mate of Angel’s, Spike was pretty sure he said his name was Gunn. At the moment, Angel and Gunn were talking about the football team.. The school was small, almost as small as Spike’s private school back in London. But as far as he could gather, everything about this town was small.
After his mum died last year, his dad had tried to take care of him, but in his own way of dealing Spike had transformed himself from geeky William into the new school bad boy. His dad finally gave up trying to raise him and had now decided to send Spike to Sunnydale to live with his Uncle Rupert, his wife Jenny and their son Angel.
As he followed his cousin up the steps , Spike’s eye caught on a petite blonde and redhead walking towards them.
The redhead waved cheerfully, “Hi Gunn, hi Angel! Ready for our first day back?”
Gunn laughed, “I know you are. I’m just happy we’re not seventh graders anymore. We rule the school now.”
Spike watched as the blonde girl smiled sweetly at Angel, thrusting her chest out, her eyes hopeful, “Hi Angel.”
Spike rolled his eyes at the cute blonde’s attempts; she was obviously smitten with Peaches. However Angel just gave her a quick smile and a mumbled “Hey.”
Spike noticed that both girls were now staring at him, not sure what to say to the new student.
“This is my cousin, Spike. Spike, this is Willow and Buffy,” Angel gestured to the redhead first then the blonde.
“Hello cuties,” Spike leered and both girls were taken back by his words.
“He’s from England,” Angel said quickly, as if that was an excuse for his behavior
“Riiiight,” the blonde, Buffy, drawled, “You’re here permanently?” Spike’s eyes narrowed as he stared down at Buffy. Her tone of voice suggested something other than feigned interest.
“Yeah, I am. Buffy,” he sneered as he said her name.
Buffy straightened, glaring at him, “Did you just make fun of my name, Spike?” She asked, accenting his name as he’d done to hers.
“Well at least mine’s a nickname. Your mum really hate you that much?” He shot back.
Buffy’s eyes widened, “Excuse me bleach boy? How’d you get your name? Your stupid hair?”
The others watched on silently, not wanting to get in the middle of the heated argument.
Spike smirked and lowered his voice, “I don’t know if I should tell you how I got my nickname, with your virgin ears and all. But if you think you can handle it...”
Buffy gasped at his audacity. The way he was talking could not be legal. He was fourteen! She’d eat Mr. Gordo if that idiot had ever had sex.
Instead of saying anything, Buffy spun on her heel and stalked off, head high, Willow chasing after her.
“Man! You pissed Buffy Summers off,” Gunn winced, “That’s not a good thing.”
“Yeah, well she was askin’ for it,” Spike retorted, still looking in the direction the girls had walked to.
Angel just rolled his eyes, “Come on, we’re gonna be late.”
Spike nodded and followed his cousin into school, but he couldn’t help but think of that blonde and the way her emerald eyes flashed when she was angry.
Spike shook himself out of his reminiscence. He should have known that their first time meeting would dictate how they would always behave around each other. They constantly clashed, from music to studying techniques to favorite foods; they always found a fault to pick at.
Most of the time their arguments were fleeting and pointless and, in Spike’s opinion, it was part of what made them friends. If they weren’t bickering, then something was obviously wrong.
Shortly after their first meeting, Spike found out that the one and only Buffy Summers lived four houses down from the Giles’. Later that day he’d walked down the street to see her sitting on her porch painting her toenails.
After a few minutes of snarking, Spike found out they had a common interest in martial arts and she grudgingly offered to show him the local gym. Somehow over the next year, between Tae Kwon Do class and the sharing of mutual friends, the pair had become reluctant friends.
Until high school at least, Spike reminded himself as he parked along the street near the Magic Box. He opened the shop door, the bell ringing to announce his presence, and saw Anya sitting at the counter.
“Hi, welcome to the Magic Box. Can I-Spike!” Anya squealed and jumped up to hug him tightly.
“You’re here!” She said cheerfully, “And early!”
Spike returned her hug, “You work here with Rupes?” He frowned, “Wait, early?”
“For the wedding silly!” Anya explained, “Now I won’t have to send you an invite.”
“Hey, you and the whelp are getting married?” Spike asked disbelievingly and Anya nodded happily, thrusting her ring into his face.
At the sound of a commotion, Giles exited the back office and saw his nephew standing there with Anya. Spike looked the same as he remembered, with his bleached hair and black outfit. His face was thinner though.
“Spike, I’m glad you’re here. Now, where were you thinking of your setup being?” Giles asked, getting down to business.
“What, no hug?” Spike teased his uncle and Anya looked between the two.
“What setup?” She asked suspiciously.
“My book signing thing,” Spike explained, then turned to inspect the place, “Somewhere near the front, but not right by the door. Don’t want to seem desperate.”
Now Anya looked angry, hands planted on her hips, “Excuse me? When was anyone going to say anything about a book signing? Giles, we both own this place! You can’t just organize something without telling me!”
Giles rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath before talking louder, “Anya, it’s just Spike’s book, not someone you don’t know,” he explained “and it wasn’t exactly planned. I just thought of it a week ago.”
“Fine,” Anya huffed, “But I’m letting this go only because Spike’s my friend and I liked his book.”
Spike smirked; he’d forgotten how fun Anya could be, “Thanks pet.”
The door opened and the three turned to see Tara and Willow walk in. Willow spotted Spike standing there and grinned wide, “Spike!”
“Hey Red,” Spike greeted as the redhead walked up to him and gave him a hug.
“Long time no see. How’s New York?” She asked eagerly.
“Good. Lot better than SunnyD,” Spike teased and Willow swatted him playfully.
Then Willow remembered her friend standing behind her.
“Oh! Spike this is Tara, Tara this is Spike,” Willow introduced them and they shook hands.
“N-nice to meet you,” Tara said softly with a smile and Spike nodded, “Same, luv.”
“So, where’s everyone?” Spike asked, trying to quell the wanting to know where Buffy was.
“Buffy and Dawn are at the high school- Buffy works there now, and Xander’s at his worksite,” Willow ticked off with her fingers.
“He’s a developer,” Anya added proudly.
“And,” Willow continued, “You know Angel, Gunn, Wes, Fred, Lorne and Cordelia are in LA.”
“Right. Was at Peaches and the Cheerleader’s wedding last year,” Spike confirmed. “That was just bloody weird, seeing them two together.”
Willow nodded, “Took us by surprise too. Oh! And do you remember Faith?” Spike nodded, recalling the hot brunette who smoked outside the building with him.
“She was in jail for a few months, but now she works at Sunnydale High. She and Buffy are buds.”
Spike raised an eyebrow; he couldn’t really imagine Buffy and Faith getting along all that well.
“Spike, how about near the tarot cards? Would that be a good place?” Giles asked.
Willow looked around, “A good place for what?”
“Spike’s book signing,” Anya said irritably, “The one Giles didn’t mention to me.”
Willow’s eyes widened, “You’re having a book signing? You’re gonna sign mine first, I loved it! I tried to get Giles to read it but he wouldn’t.”
“Vampire erotica novels just don’t do it for me,” Giles said dryly.
“I really loved ‘Silken Threads of Crimson Roses’,” Tara commented quietly.
“Thanks, I’m working on a sequel, if I can finish it,” Spike confessed. Giles went into the back to retrieve a desk and as soon as he was out of hearing range, Willow gave Spike a pointed look.
“What?” He said defensively.
“You, buster, are so lucky Buffy doesn’t read,” Willow scolded him.
Spike pretended he didn’t know what she was talking about, “What?”
Tara stood by Willow’s side watching them and Anya stood there with her arms crossed, “You didn’t put me in the novel!”
“I didn’t put anyone in the soddin’ novel!” Spike protested.
“Right. So Muffy just happens to sound like Buffy, and Muffy just happens to be a cute short blonde with green eyes who kills the vampires and is conveniently killed after the first three chapters,” Willow said sarcastically.
Spike shrugged, “Yeah, bloody coincidence.”
“I still don’t get why Buffy got to be in your book and not me!” Anya complained, sounding like a disgruntled five year old.
“I didn’t plan to put her in,” Spike admitted, “She was just a good person to base my character off of. I used people I knew to get a good foundation on my characters otherwise they wouldn’t sound real.”
Willow raised her eyebrows at him, “Muffy? Okay, not the best name.”
Spike shrugged again, “It worked. A vampire-killing cheerleader named Muffy.”
Willow shook her head and sighed, “Honestly- you two? I don’t need to bring up ‘The Ice Cream Incident’ do I?”
Spike’s eyes widened and he quickly shook his head causing Tara to giggle, remembering their discussion at the Bronze a while ago.
“So what else-“ Willow was interrupted as the door swung open, two feminine voices arguing loudly.
“Why won’t you let me go out with him tonight? You said you liked him!” Dawn accused her sister as they entered the Magic Box after school.
“That was before I saw him stick his tongue down your throat!” Buffy explained her voice shrill. She walked in and then stopped when she saw the person standing with Willow, Tara and Anya.
“It was-oof!” Dawn gasped as she ran into her sister who was staring at the very familiar, startlingly blonde man.
Buffy could feel her heart racing at just the sight of him. Here he was after four years, after that night…
“What are doing here?” She demanded harshly in surprise and not a little fear.
Spike smirked, “Nice to see you too, luv.”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
thanks to my beta Lauren-couldn't do it without her! praise, constructive criticisms or ideas are always welcome
also: I'm aware the spacing isn't the best so bear with me-thanks!
also: I'm aware the spacing isn't the best so bear with me-thanks!