When they got back to the house he muttered to her, telling her that he was going to get her some water and aspirin. She followed him, stumbling a bit, trying to fight against the drunkenness. It wasn’t easy. She’d had a lot to drink, at least for her anyway. All she could do was watch him move about the kitchen, trying to stand still and not sway.
Handing her the glass of water, he ordered, “Drink” and she did so. Then he filled it up again and handed her some aspirin. “Drink again,” he ordered and took the pills.
When she was done, she blinked at him and he stared at her. “Get to bed, Buffy,” he said after a long while.
“Spike?” she asked, stopping him on his retreat from her.
“Yeah?”
“Are you mad at me?”
Her voice was so small and so full of worry that he instantly felt like a git. How was it her fault that he never told her about his stupid crush? How was it her fault that she was so perfectly clueless? That was her. That was just Buffy.
“No, Buffy,” he shook his head and sighed, “I’m not mad at you, luv.”
“Cause you kissed me.”
“I know.”
She chewed her bottom lip and looked down for a minute. “Why’d you do that?”
“I felt like it. Got my motor revved with that song.” It was partly true, she had. She’d also angered him by turning on all the blokes in the room.
She didn’t look like she completely believed him, but at the same time wasn’t going to question further. “Oh.”
“Let that be a lesson to you,” he teased and then regretted it. Now she’d be afraid that every time she did something remotely sexy, she would unwittingly turn him on and elicit more less than brotherly attentions from him. And she did sexy things without knowing it. Hell, the way she beamed up at him turned him on. “Look, just too much liquor and…okay?”
She nodded. “Under rug swept.”
“Right. Get some sleep, yeah? Hopefully you won’t have much of a hangover tomorrow.”
“If I do, is there a gross remedy you have to concoct just in case?” she asked, grinning now.
He laughed, “Yeah. Tylenol and sleep.”
“Oh,” she looked disappointed. “Is that all you did back in the day?”
“Yup, that’s all I did back in the day.”
“All right. Well, good night Spike. Thanks for my first drunken experience. Hope I didn’t traumatize you too much.”
“No, kitten, you didn’t. Good night.”
He willed himself to walk away and not go to her and wrap her up in his arms. It was what he wanted to do more than anything, but was what he could not do.
The next morning when Buffy woke, she yawned loudly and then braced herself for the onslaught of some kind of sickness. There was none to her great disappointment. All she felt was tired still. Grumbling, she tossed her covers back and went to shower, she also felt gross.
Coming out of the bathroom clad in a big blue towel, she bumped right into a bleary eyed Spike clad in only baby blue boxers.
“Sorry!” Buffy said, holding onto her towel in one hand and touching his chest with the other. She gulped, looking at that chest her hand was on. That’s a six pack isn’t it? she thought in awe as her eyes traveled over his torso. She’d seen Spike shirtless before, but not in recent history, in past history, like high school maybe even some college history and she did not remember his being that hard, that muscled and defined and –
“Buffy, d’ya mind?” he barked at her.
“Sorry, I’m a little--” she started and he pushed past her to head into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. “— slow this morning.” She stared at the white bathroom door. Holy Mother of God. The shower started and Buffy found herself wondering how toned and muscled the rest of him was….
Shaking her head, Buffy started for her bedroom. It would do no good dwelling on that. Sure, she’d had a crush on him once upon a time, but that was over and she was nursing a broken heart and a broken life. She was leaning on him that was it. That was all. There would be no more crushing on Spike; that was in the past. Besides, she remembered all too well what happened the last time she’d had a crush on him: He’d taken up with Drusilla and spent a good three months blowing her off to be with the vapid ho. That Dru draped herself on him like tinsel on a tree. Just hung there, limply. Buffy had taken up with Scott Hope and until Spike had learned that Drusilla was indeed cheating on him with any man she could get her hands on, he was completely blind and unbearable to be around.
The night he’d ended things with Dru was the night he’d found out about her cheating ways.
Flashback
Buffy watched from her spot on the couch of the college party with rapt attention as Spike took the stage. He was all black and leather, all with his brow pierced and a scowl on his gorgeous face that somehow just made him hotter to Buffy. She adored his smile, but she figured she was in a rebellious bad boy stage and she could live out that fantasy with Spike safely. He was her best friend who would make sure nothing bad would ever happen to her (he’d told her as much) and he was a bad boy. She had the best of both worlds in him.
Scott was trying to whisper sweet nothings in her ear, but Buffy’s attention was solely riveted on Spike as he took the stage with his band. He’d been kind of cranky all night and she was hoping that whatever had crawled up his ass and died would be exercised when he sang. He seemed happier when he was singing. God knew Drusilla didn’t seem to be making him happy; something had to. In fact, she hadn’t been supporting her boyfriend at all that night. Buffy had though, like a dutiful best friend, despite Scott wanting to get physical somewhere in the annoyingly loud frat house.
But Buffy only had eyes for Spike. It was a crush and it would pass, but for now it seemed to want to stay.
Taking the mic in his hand, his eyes fell on Buffy and she pushed at Scott to make him listen while Spike started to sing an oldie but goodie.
”You love her
But she loves him
And he loves somebody else
You just can't win
And so it goes
Till the day you die
This thing they call love
It's gonna make you cry
I've had the blues
The reds and the pinks
One thing for sure
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah”
How very true, Buffy thought thinking of how she wanted to be the apple of Spike’s eye, but it was stupid Dru while she was saddled with stupid Scott. And she’d only saddled herself with Scott because Spike had first saddled himself with Dru. Oh the twisted games we play.
“Two by two and side by side
Love's gonna find you yes it is
You just can't hide
You'll hear it call
Your heart will fall
Then love will fly
It's gonna soar
I don't care for any Casanova thing
All I can say is
Love stinks
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
I've been through diamonds
I've been through minks
I've been through it all
Love stinks
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah
(Love stinks)
Love stinks yeah yeah”
She clapped the loudest and hooted when he was done. And that was when Dru stumbled into the room looking about ready to pass out with her clothes askew and her blood red lipstick smeared up on her cheek. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what she’d been obviously doing.
Spike glared at her and Buffy went to him, taking his arm. “Spike, be calm. Dump her ass, but don’t give her the satisfaction of knowing she hurt you.”
He looked down at her, softening. “I will.”
And when he’d gone up to Dru to end it, having finally seen what she was, Buffy stood right behind him, offering her silent support and resisting the urge to flip off the stupid Goth girl that let a man like Spike get away.
End Flashback
“No wonder he got so angry when I mentioned that song. How could I have been so stupid? How could I forget that night?” she muttered to herself as she dressed. “I just kept thinking of how hot he looked.” Sighing, she looked at herself in the mirror, trying to blot out the image of her with her hand on Spike’s chest. How hard it’d felt, how soft, how toned. Closing her eyes she told herself, Get over it Summers. Get over it. He’s your best friend! You lose him at this point in your life and you lose everything. And with that sobering thought, Buffy pondered what her next adventure was going to be.