Since being chipped by the Initiative, and therefore permanently cut-off from not only his own vampire family but most of the demon world, Spike spent a great deal of his time alone. Soap operas could occupy only so many of his solitary hours and he soon returned to habits and pastimes of his youth. The library became his refuge both from loneliness and boredom. The stacks of Sunnydale Public Library once attracted the occasional vampire looking for a meal. But those unwise enough to hunt in Spike’s new ‘home away from home’ met a swift end. Once word got out his idylls were no longer disturbed by predators. The library was a peaceful place where Spike could escape into a world of fine literature.
He’d arrived at the library that afternoon, as usual, through the sewers. This time of day was his favorite. The sun’s rays slanted in through the high windows without any risk of touching him. He found his preferred spot blissfully free of annoying pulsers and pulled the book of poetry from the shelf where he’d left it. When he slipped into the chair he’d had every intention of staying until the library closed. But that was before the Slayer showed up.
He sensed her the moment she came through the door. He even heard her ask the librarian for help finding her tax form. He picked up an elevated heart rate when she noticed that a vampire was somewhere nearby. Since then he’d amused himself by witnessing as she stalked her prey only to balk when she discovered who was causing her tinglies.
Spike decided to pretend he didn’t know she was there in hopes that she might leave without punching him in the face. He was harmless, after all, so she could just take her little stake and go away. But when she took up her position in the stacks and stood there watching him, he was fascinated to hear her heart rate increase.
‘Could it be,’ he wondered, ‘that she’s hot for me?’ He didn’t know what to make of this development but decided to play it cool rather than spook her by letting on that he knew how watching him was affecting her. Minutes passed, and Spike tried without success to plan his next move. When his vampire senses told him that she was about to withdraw he knew he had to act. That’s when he looked up.
Buffy was riveted to the floor by Spike’s eyes. She found herself practically swimming in the blue depths of his gaze. Why had she never noticed his beautiful eyes? Several beats passed before she managed to pull herself free.
“Spike?”
“Slayer?”
“Um, hi?”
“Yes, hello Slayer. Bit surprised to see you at the library. Looking for something to read?”
“No, not exactly”, she said, stepping forward, her eyes narrowing as she decided to take offense at his comment. “But I do read, you know! I’m not stupid, I just don’t get a lot of time for reading and stuff. What with saving the world all the time and slaying and everything.”
He actually hadn’t meant to offend her this time, but she was so accustomed to being baited that she perceived an insult even when there wasn’t one. He was going to have to make a real effort to avoid any more inadvertent jabs or he’d lose any chance of getting her to drop her guard a little. He wasn’t prepared to consider why, but he desperately hoped that she would sit down and talk with him. Keeping his eyes on hers, he slowly removed his foot from the chair and pulled it out.
“Not planning to use that stake, are you?” he asked, gesturing to her to take a seat.
Buffy was flustered when she realized that she was still holding a stake in her hand. She quickly replaced it in her pocket and sat down rather stiffly next to Spike.
“I - I, you know, I sensed a vampire, and I thought I’d need to do a little dusting,” she stammered looking down for a moment before finding his eyes with hers again. “But then it turned out to be you.”
“Yes, here I am, terrorizing the neighborhood by reading quietly in the corner.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry about that.” Buffy looked down at the floor again sighing and looking so like a sad little girl that Spike wanted to reach out, take her hand, and tell her it would be all right. But of course he couldn’t do that. Not if he wanted to keep any semblance of his Big Bad reputation.
“I guess I’m a little keyed up.” Buffy looked at her feet, finding nothing there but her shoes, and feeling incredibly awkward alone in the library with Spike, she realized it had been a mistake to sit down. “I really shouldn’t have bothered you. I’m sorry. I’ll just go and let you get back to your reading.”
Spike took a quick unneeded breath as he tried to cover up the slight panic that accompanied Buffy’s decision to leave. She was already rising from her chair when he realized that he had to say something, now, or she’d be gone.
“That’s okay,” he lied, “I was getting ready to go myself. But I’m not exactly in a hurry.” And then to himself he thought, ‘Bugger all, I’m just going to have to do it!’ “What’s troubling you Slayer? I mean, aside from the usual impending apocalypse?”
Buffy stopped halfway out of her chair and stared at Spike. All she could say was, “Huh?”
“You said you’re keyed up,” Spike explained, “Just wondering what could possibly be bothering Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”
The look on her face betrayed a series of feelings: confusion, suspicion and, finally, resignation. With a “what have I got to lose” sigh, Buffy sat back down in the chair and looked into Spike’s eyes again, her mouth twisting into a crooked smile.
“You’re going to think this is stupid,” she said.
Tbc...
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