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Author's Chapter Notes:
This is my second banner- glorious work from dawnofme.
Her head was pounding even before she opened her eyes the next morning and she grimaced as she woke. There was a steady pain just behind her eyes, and her cheeks and under her eyes were sore from crying. She couldn’t even remember when she had stopped crying. She slowly opened her eyes and let out a sigh. She stretched and glanced down when she realised she was still dressed in last night’s clothes and she was on top of the covers, not under them. She frowned when she suddenly realised it wasn’t even her cover, nor was the wall she staring at hers.

It was then she recognised the other presence in the room and before she even turned to look, the tingle at the back of her neck told her exactly who it was. She carefully rolled over, only to find Spike fast asleep next to her, curled up under the covers. She couldn’t help blushing, despite the innocent circumstances, and started to edge towards the side of the bed, doing her best not to wake the vampire. She was almost free when he suddenly let out a whimper in his sleep and one arm stretched out to wrap around her waist, his face pressed against her side. She froze instantly, caught and with no idea how to get out of this situation.



Well, she could just get off the bed and pray it didn’t wake him. But, somehow, she didn’t even want to risk it: she had rarely seen him so peaceful, especially in his sleep. She raised her hand and stroked his messy hair softly, smiling slightly when he let out that purr-like sound again. He shifted closer to her and she froze again, paralysed by a mixture of embarrassment and pity. He looked so vulnerable though, his head resting by her shoulder and she couldn’t help running her fingers over the arm across her waist.

She didn’t know what it was about this vampire that had turned her into a caring-type. She’d definitely never been like this before, although one look at her mother showed it had to be in her genes somewhere – but she was usually the kind of person who stood by with light words and maybe a pat on the shoulder while someone else did the actually comforting. She just wasn’t all that good at the whole caring, comforting thing and especially since she had become the Slayer, she had been more closed off emotionally than ever before. Maybe knowing just how often people in Sunnydale danced with death had that effect.

The pain this vampire was in though blasted everything she knew out of the water: it didn’t matter that he was a vampire anymore, all that was important was trying to find a way to soothe his pain. Maybe it was because, deep down, she knew she was to blame. Or maybe it was just this man, how he wore every single emotion – and most of them painful ones recently – in his eyes, clear for anyone who looked close enough to see.



She was dragged out of her thoughts when he moved, shaking his head and waking up. Almost instantly, his eyes flew to hers and she gave him a shy smile, unable to stop a blush creeping up her cheeks. He released her quickly and sat up, throwing her a panicked look.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-“

“It’s fine,” she said with a soft smile, “I didn’t want to wake you. You seemed all peaceful.”

He gave her his own shy smile, hands playing with the covers around his hips. He suddenly turned to her though, piercing blue eyes fixing on hers.

“How are you feeling?” he asked gently.

Drawing her legs up to her chest, she wrapped her arms around them and bit her lip.

“I’ve been better.”

He frowned slightly and reached out to brush a hand down her arm.

“You wanna talk about it?”

She shook her head but gave him a tiny smile.

“Thanks, but I… it’s still a bit too raw, you know?”

“’Course. But if you want to, at any time…”

She nodded and, suddenly remembering where she was, she scuttled of the bed nervously, covering with a laugh.

“I should probably get up and, you know, get ready.”

“Yeah.”

She smiled and moved for the door, but paused in sudden surprise, whirling back round to face him.



“Hey, you’re still sane!”

He laughed lowly and gave her a sheepish smile.

“Sorry to disappoint.”

“No. No. I just mean… you’ve never been like this… not for this long.”

“I think you might have helped with that, Slayer,” he murmured softly, eyes slanting up at her, “Think you might actually have chased the voices away.”

“What? I… How- oh, the blood? My blood did that?!”

“Seems like,” he answered, giving her a soft smile, “Told you it was strong.”

“I know but I didn’t realise it was that strong!”

He smiled again and then averted his eyes from hers, fixing them on the covers where his hands were idly fiddling with the edges.

“Thank you, Buffy,” he whispered, “You don’t… That was a bad place. A bad place for my head.”

He was so adorable when he was all tongue-tied and shy like this and she smiled, moving forward and sitting beside him, her hand resting over his.

“You’re welcome. It wasn’t like it was planned or anything… but I’m glad you’re… better.”

He sent her a shy look with a hesitant smile and she smiled back, her hand squeezing his.

“I’m just glad to see you not… not suffering as much, you know?”

He nodded and swallowed hard, eyes quickly avoiding hers again.

“Don’t know how I’m ever going to repay you, Slay- Buffy.”

“I’m sure we’ll think of something,” she answered lightly, smiling widely.

“Yeah,” he whispered, slanting a doe-eyed look at her that made her feel unusually warm.



“Well, I really should go get some breakfast,” she exclaimed, breaking the strange tension that had filled the room, “Do you want anything?”

“No, I’ll be fine.”

She pushed herself to her feet once more but then turned to him, a slightly cheeky grin on her face.

“Now that you’re, like, normal and all, you might want to consider a shower.”

His expression went quickly from stunned to embarrassed and she smiled softly.

“I’m not saying you smell… but, you know, it couldn’t hurt.”

He gave her a hesitant smile and she laughed lightly, moving to the door again.

“Everything you need’s in the bathroom.”

He looked up quickly and nodded.

“Thank you.”

“Welcome,” she answered lightly, opening the door and leaving the room quickly, suddenly anxious to get away from the weird awkwardness that had descended over them.





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