Buffy walked through the familiar Restfield Cemetary, more than ready to slay with a stake already in her hand. It had been a particularly crappy week and a good smack-down was just what she needed right about now.
As she walked past a small patch of woods she heard rustling behind a tree and quietly began to make her way over toward it. "It's about time," she said quietly to herself. The hair on the back of her neck stood up and her slayer senses were tingling. Vampire. She was gonna kill this one just a little more than usual.
Just as she began to approach the brush, Spike came strutting out from behind it, half-startling her. Dissapointment written clear on her face made Spike chuckle as he pulled out a cigarette, lit it ,and took a drag.
"What's wrong, luv? Not happy to see me?" he asked as Buffy lowered her stake and tucked it back away.
Buffy made a face. "Go home Spike, I don't feel like dealing with you tonight."
"Aw what's the matter, not up for your usual witty banter wit the big bad?"
"No," she said, irritated. "I'm really not so just-"
"Something happen with your mum?" he asked, seeming genuinely concerned. This threw her off a little.
She closed her eyes and sighed. "No. No she's..." she paused and looked up at him. "The same."
He tilted his head and looked her up and down. "Theres something else, though, innit?"
She looked at him and blushed a little, remembering the night he sat with her on her back porch, patting her back and soothing the tears she let fall in front of him. Suddenly she wasn't so annoyed with his presence. "How is it that you always know when something’s bothering me? I mean, is it some special sense that comes with the rest of the vampire package or something?" she asked and they began to walk together.
"Well you just don't quite seem yourself. 'Sides, you never come slayin' 'round 'ere unless you're trying to avoid something or chasing some big nasty," he said.
She just looked up at him with blazing eyes. Even though it was Spike she felt like she needed to vent and at the moment he was the only one willing to listen. "I don't know why I'm about to tell you this, but Riley and I were walking together earlier and we got into an argument, so we decided to split up, cover more ground without bickering," she said with a shrug. "He took the other cemetery so I came here."
"Oh," he said not looking at her, didn't want her to see his obvious irritation at the mention of Captain Cardboard. They slowed their pace a bit and Spike sat down on a headstone, putting out his cigarette and pulling another out, lighting up. "What was the argument about?"
Buffy sighed and sat down next to him. "He's just... been acting wierd lately and I've been ignoring it for a little while but tonight he was majorly wiggy so I called him on it," she said sparing a glance at Spike who was nodding his head and taking a long drag. "Anyway, he got all defensive and started accusing me of not trusting him enough. I was only getting concerned! I mean, what if something was wrong with him, you know?"
"Did you tell him that?" Spike asked with a surprisingly concerned voice. Buffy had expected him to just bash Riley and try to convince her to break up with him., like he always did since he found out Riley was a commando. Instead he just sat and listened, and either Buffy was going crazy or, he was actually attempting to help her.
"He wouldn't listen. Anyway, I just got this feeling like he's into something. Bad. But I don’t wanna say anything in case he isn't you know? I don't know. Maybe I'm just making things up in my head. It's just bothering me that I don't know."
"You ever try playing the piano?" he asked. Buffy eyed him skeptically. "When I was alive, and I would get upset, I'd just play the piano. Its very relaxing," he said as he looked at her.
She was looking at him as if he was about to tell her he was joking. He wasn't. "Yeah, right, uh huh, you play the piano," Buffy laughed. "You look like Billy Idol, not Elton John. And, by the way, could you be any more random?"
Spike looked at her, thoroughly insulted. "Well they didn't exactly have electric guitars back when I was a teenager, luv. My mum taught me the basics, taught myself the rest," he said taking another drag.
Spike plays the piano. Now that’s something I didn't ever expect to find out.
"All I'm sayin' is, you find something you really like to do, something that gives you a bit of a rush but at the same time calms you down, then you do it. I wager you'll feel better and you'll be able to think about what you should do. Works every time," he said as he tossed his cigarette butt into the grass.
Buffy thought about what he said, but couldn't really think of anything she really enjoyed doing that didn't involve slaying. Too tired to keep thinking she decided to call it a night.
"Thanks. I, uh... I'll think about what you said." Buffy looked down at her watch. 3:23 A.M. "I better head home. Check on mom and Dawn..."
"Alright," Spike said as he got up and started to walk back toward his crypt.
Buffy headed off in the opposite direction, but stopped and turned around real quick. "Spike!"
Spike turned around and looked back at her, eyebrows raised.
"Thank you," she said with a smile, then turned and continued on home.
x X x X x
A few weeks later Buffy showed up at Spike's crypt after class. She knew it was probably a bad idea to show up at a master vampires crypt unannounced, but considering the events of the past few weeks she didn't really seem to care.
She looked around but couldn't see him anywhere. "Spike?" She listened for a second but still heard nothing.
Where could he have gone its four o'clock in the afternoon...
Just then she noticed the small trap door on the floor of the crypt and walked over to it. There was a ladder going into the darkness. With a sigh she decided to go in and she found herself surrounded by pitch-blackness. She knew one thing for sure... it wasn't the sewers. It didn't have the gross smell.
Once her feet hit the ground and she let her eyes adjust to the darkness, she made out what looked like a dresser and a bed. Quietly she crept over and could then make out the big lump on the bed, whom she assumed was Spike. She looked around for a lighter or a match to light the room up with. In the process she found a few old candles and lit them one by one. After placing them on the table next to Spike's bed she could see the golden curves of his face.
She tilted her head and truely examined him for a moment. She had never really taken the time to look at him like this before. "He looks so peaceful," she whispered to herself.
Suddenly with a slight jerk he woke up and looked at her, confused. Thinking maybe he was dreaming he turned around and buried his face in a pillow.
Buffy was a bit taken back. "Um, okay rude much?"
He turned and squinted at her again. Was she really here? And if so, then why? He let his head fall to the pillow again.
"What are you doing here?" came the muffled sound of Spikes voice. He was clearly tired and wanted to sleep, since sunset wasn't for a few more hours.
"I got bored. Everyone else was busy doing something so..."
"So what... you decided you'd come and verbally bash the big bad? I don't think so, luv, go bother soldier boy."
Buffy looked down at her feet and swallowed. "Riley and I broke up, Spike. He left town."
Spike pulled his head out from the pillows and looked at her, studying her to see if she was just playing a cruel joke on him or if she was really telling the truth. "Is that right..."
"And I didn't come here to verbally bash you, Spike. I came here to see if you wanted to spar, I need some real action not just a dummy to hit."
Buffy mentally slapped herself for the way she had worded that. It came out sounding naughtier than she had planned but Spike didn't seem to pick up on it. Either that or for once he had the decency not to call her on it after what she had just revealed.
Spike sat up in his bed, running his hands through his hair for a second while yawning. A light blue sheet was all that was covering his manhood from her eyes.
"This isn't just some weak attempt to kill me is it?"
She blushed a little, all too aware that he was naked under that sheet. That very thin sheet. "I don't want to kill you, Spike. I just need a good sparring partner and I figured who's better than the infamous William the Bloody, who's already killed two slayers. You told me to find the thing that excites me and relaxes me at the same time. This is it. If you don't wanna help then I'll just go home."
Spike took in her words and was quite surprised by the honesty in her eyes. "Alright. Can you jus' gimme a minute to get dressed?"
Buffy nodded and turned around, hoping to god he couldn't see her blush or hear her heart pounding. Never in her life did she think seeing Spike in a sheet would have this affect on her.
Behind her she could hear Spike rummaging about for his clothes, mumbling to himself and kicking drawers shut.
"Alright, get ready, Slayer. You better prepare yourself 'cause you're about to go up against the Big Bad," he said and she turned back around, ready to face-
Buffy arched a brow and began to giggle. "Red silk pajama pants?" She laughed again.
He pouted at her response, but was secretly glad to see her smile. "Jeans are covered in demon sludge. Havent had time to wash 'em yet. This is all I got for the time being," he said flipping some lights on. Then he stopped and pointed at her, giving her a pointed look. "Tell anyone and I'll kill you, Slayer."
She made the motion of zipping her lips closed, locking them, and throwing away the key, all with a smile still plastered on her face. She couldn't help it. He was making her smile.
Oh my god, she thought as she watched him walk around. He looks good.
Spike walked in a circle for a minute, shaking off the urge to sleep and waking himself up enough to fight.
Not thinking, Buffy stared at him in awe. Had she really never seen him without a shirt on before? He was so toned and so perfect. She hadn't expected it one bit. He looked a hell of a lot like a greek statue.
"You want to do this here or upstairs, Slayer..."
Buffy snapped out of her little trance and got into a fighting stance. "Right here is fine..."
No! Bad, bad Buffy. Don’t look at the evil bloodsucking fiend!
Spike got into his own fighting stance and with a nod from Buffy, he moved forward and their sparring session began.
x X x X x
Later that night Buffy came through her front door, rubbing at a sore spot on her arm where Spike had hit her a little hard. She took a deep breath and kicked off her shoes, smiling a bit at the sedated feeling she had after sparring with Spike then patrolling with him.
"Hey Sweetheart," her mother started as she came into the living room. "You go patrolling?" Joyce asked.
"Yeah," she said taking a seat next to her mother. "Went and trained a little with Spike, too."
"You were fighting with Spike?" her mother asked with a semi-concerned tone in her voice. "Buffy..."
"No, mom," she sighed. "It's not what you think. It was sparring. I didn't just go over there and start beating him up. It was... consentual fighting."
Joyce's mood lightened a bit. She had always liked Spike and never approved of the way Buffy treated him, especially because of his condition with the chip. She kept a special bag of little marshmallows in her cupboard for him, just in case he ever needed to come over and vent. To see her daughter and Spike finally getting along, it made her... well, she was happy.
"Well that's good to hear, Buffy. I think you should give him a chance to kind of become a part of the scooby group. He's really got nothing else."
"Yeah I know. With that chip in his head he can't do the things he's meant to do, but being a vampire makes it hard for him to get by without consequences." Buffy sighed and blinked back a tear or two. "With everything that's going on, being able to go out and go patrolling with him instead of someone else makes things surprisingly better."
"I understand. It's just... he cares about you Buffy. You may not think so, but I see it. If you're only going to do this, be nice to him, for a short period of time and then go back to using him as your personal punching bag..."
"I know, mom. I'm not going to do that. Something... something between us changed and, I don't really know what it is, but I feel a connection and I don't plan on letting it go. I'm done letting everything go."
"That sounds nice," Joyce said with a smile.
"He really has changed though," Buffy said sitting back. "He feels more like a part of the gang."
x X x X x
A few nights later Buffy was back at Spikes crypt, going at another sparring session. She ducked and dodged each of his swings and kicks, and moved around swiftly enough so that he could not grab hold of her. She was sweating but had a smirk on her face, satisfied with the rush this was giving her.
Suddenly Buffy whirled around and tripped Spike by sweeping her leg under his feet. His back hit the floor with a thud and she quickly mounted on top of him and motioned her hand as if to stake him.
"One of these days I'll get you, Slayer," he said with a smirk.
Buffy smirked back and stretched her arms above her head., showing off a little bit of her belly. "You keep telling yourself that."
Spike just smiled and rested his head back on the cold stone floor, afraid to speak in that moment for fear of accidentally revealing the feelings that had developed for her
"Do you wanna go to the Bronze with me?" she asked out of nowhere.
Spike's head shot up immediately. He had to have heard her wrong because it sounded like she invited him to the Bronze with her. "Hm?"
"Do you wanna go to the Bronze with me. I'm meeting the gang there and, I don't know... I kinda want you to go."
Spike was amazed. Buffy was asking him to go somewhere in public with her? Now he was sure he was dreaming. "Um, yeh, sure. I could use a drink," he said as Buffy lifted herself up off of him and stuck out her hand to help him up.
Spike spent a minute or two freshening up and getting ready, as did Buffy, then the two of them headed out toward the little club they knew all too well.
When they got there Buffy made a face at Xander that told him not to fuss over Spike being there, and he silently and reluctantly agreed.
Over the course of the next hour or so Xander and Anya danced, and Willow and Tara danced, but Buffy and Spike spent most of their time at the table or at the bar. They even played a game of pool together. However, one of the next songs that came on caught Buffy's attention.
The music was semi-slow and had a seductive beat to it. She couldn't fight the urge to dance, so instead of thinking too much about it, she silently grabbed him by the hand and pulled him out to the dark dance floor.
on a cobweb afternoon
in a room full of emptiness
by a freeway i confess
i was lost in the pages
of a book full of death
reading how we'll die alone
and if we're good we'll lay to rest
anywhere we want to go
They moved together in slow tantalizing movements inspired by the beat of the song. Buffy's back was to him as she guided his hands to rest on her hips.
in your house i long to be
room by room patiently
i'll wait for you there
like a stone i'll wait for you there
alone
It was like a revelation for Spike. He couldn't believe any of this was happening. The things she was making him feel would have made his heart explode had it been beating.
on my deathbed i will pray
to the gods and the angels
like a pagan to anyone
who will take me to heaven
to a place i call
i was there so long ago
the sky was bruised
the wine was bled
and there you led me on
Buffy had never felt more alive than at this moment. There was a sort of electricity between them that made her shiver up and down her spine. The way his body felt against hers made her body betray her as she turned to face him and rested her head on his chest. For some totally bizarre reason, this felt right.
in your house i long to be
room by room patiently
i'll wait for you there
like a stone i'll wait for you there
alone
Spike wanted to cry he was so happy at the moment. As he rested his chin on the top of her head he held her and continued to move with her. The only thing that worried him now was what he was going to do when the song was over and she pulled away from him...
and on i read
until the day was gone
and i sat in regret
of all the things i've done
for all that i've blessed
and all that i've wronged
in dreams until my death
i will wander on
Buffy didn't want it to stop. It was like they were alone and there was nothing for her to worry about. She had never been this peaceful her entire life, and it was with Spike.
in your house i long to be
room by room patiently
i'll wait for you there
like a stone i'll wait for you there
alone alone
When the song ended Buffy reluctantly opened her eyes and looked at him again. He gazed back at her, with worry in his eyes that she suspected was because he thought she would run off and away from him now. Instead she whispered a 'thank you,' and held his hand as she pulled him over to the bar.
He wouldn't stop looking at her. Couldn't stop.
She smiled bashfully. "What? I wanted to dance, I like that song. And you looked a little lonely."
"You never stop surprising me, Slayer." he said. Buffy looked at him and smiled. He simply smiled back and looked down at his drink.
After a couple more hours of drinking and talking around their little table they all decided it was time to head home for the night.
"Who wants a ride?" Xander asked.
"I'm gonna walk," Buffy said. "Maybe I'll do a quick sweep before I go in."
"I'm with her," Spike said and together they said their goodbyes and walked out of the Bronze.
Their walk was mostly silent, a few words spoken here and there, but there was so much that needed to be said between the two that neither knew how to say.
As they passed through the cemetery two vampires came out of nowhere and started to attack. It seemed almost slow motion as the two of them seemed to move so swiftly and choreographed while they fought.
Spike quickly killed his and when he looked over at Buffy she had dropped her stake and was being pinned between the vampire and a crypt, the alcohol she'd ingested obviously having an affect on her reflexes.
Spike ran over and pulled the vamp off of her, giving her the chance to grab her stake and come at them. Angry that the vamp had almost gotten the best of her, Buffy dug it deep into the vampires chest, so deep it came out the other side - and into Spike.
His eyes bulged at the realizatio of what exactly it was that was buried in his chest.
As the other vampire dusted Buffycould now see what she had done to Spike.
She immediately panicked and pulled it out, dropping it to her feet and covering Spikes wound with her hand. Tears were welling up in her eyes.
"Oh god, Spike..."
He figured then that if he hadn't dusted already, it obviously hadn't gone far enough in, or it just missed th heart, and he looked down on the panicking girl on front of him.
"I'm fine, It'll heal up by tomorrow," he said as he put his hand over hers. "Didn't go deep enough, luv. I'm not dusting anytime soon."
Her eyes were completely glossed over with unshed tears and she couldn't look him in the eye. She was too dissapointed at her own clumsiness.
"Let me patch you up," she said as she helped him to his feet and practically dragged him all the way to her house. "It's the least I can do..."
"Won't argue to that, pet."
Once at the house, Buffy ran to find her first aid kit and spike shrugged his duster off, wincing in pain as he pulled his sticky wet shirt up and over his head.
When Buffy returned with the kit she paused and looked at where he was standing in the livingroom, inspecting the new hole in his otherwise perfect chest.
The whole scene in front of her reminded her of back when she had to do the same thing for Angel, the night she found out he was a vampire.
Spike was absolutely nothing like Angel, and in an odd way, she liked that. They were exact opposites, and for some reason the thought of Angel merely annoyed her.
She walked up to him and looked apologetically into his eyes as she patched up the bloody hole that was now right above Spikes heart. "I'm so sorry Spike. I never meant to..."
"I know. S'alright, Slayer."
Okay, bold step, here we go...
"Spike, will um, will you stay here tonight?"
He started down at her, dumfounded. "I guess, if you want," he said in complete and utter shock.
"I just don't feel like being alone." Spike nodded an 'okay' and as Buffy sat down on the couch. After a few minutes of silence Buffy turned on the radio and began to laugh when it was that same song playing.
"What’s so funny?" Spike asked.
"The look on their faces when I pulled you out on to that dance floor. They all had different expressions, it was funny."
"Really..."
"Ya, Willow was wide-eyed, Xander was snarling, and Tara just looked like she didn't know what to do."
Spike chuckled a little but winced a bit when it made his chest hurt. He looked down at her smiling figure and smiled himself.
"C'mon," he said as he pulled Buffy up off the couch to dance again.
This time they were closer, and Spike was very shirtless. Their bodies were pressed up against each other as they moved along with the music. Buffy carefully rested her head on his shoulder and sighed as she melted into him.
She didn't know what this meant for them. All she knew, was that it was decidedly something good and she was determined not to srew it up this time.
Over on the steps Dawn was crouched down and peering into the livinroom with a huge smile spread out across her face. "Yes!" she whispered to herself.
Spike looked over and spotted her there but Buffy hadn't seemed to notice, so he merely winked at his niblet and watched as she gave him a short wave and scurried back upstairs,
This was going to be Spikes favorite song for the rest of his un-life.
END