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She had helped Spike move into the crypt a week ago now and she missed him like mad. She had never been one of those girls that had to be with their boyfriend every minute of every day, but with Spike it was different: he had been her friend, her constant companion, and she missed having him around. And she hated having to wait to see him.

Not that the wait was ever more than a few hours – most of those spent sleeping – because she spent most days over at his crypt and he spent most evenings at the house with her and her mother. Her mother often teased them about it but she didn’t care – she missed him when he wasn’t around and the very simple solution to that problem was making sure he was around lots. He certainly had no complaints and, if not for the partial secrecy of their relationship, things were great.

Tonight was going to be testing though: they were off out to the Bronze with her friends. Which sounded easy enough, except they were used to being around her mother, who knew about their relationship; now, they would have to spend the whole evening hiding their feelings for each other. It didn’t exactly sound like fun, but if it meant she got to see her friends and spend time with Spike, she guessed it was something she’s just have to deal with.



Of course, as soon as she set foot in the Bronze, she couldn’t help remembering the last time she had been here and she grimaced. Spike’s hand at her back set her in motion again but as they reached her friends, his reassuring touch disappeared and she began to realise that this night was going to be more difficult than she had thought. At least this time she had someone to talk to and didn’t feel like the odd one out.

If anything, her friends seemed like the odd ones out on this occasion: she spotted several confused looks when she and Spike shared a private joke. It was to be expected though- after all, she’d spent every day with him for the last few months, whereas she had seen her friends but rarely. She made an effort to include them though, and she saw them relax somewhat.

“So then this vampire tripped up and Spike fell over him,” she recounted, smiling widely as the vampire glared at her, “And they both came back up covered in mud.”

Her friends laughed and she sent a wide smile in Spike’s direction, her hand just squeezing his leg under the table.

“Want me to tell them about the time you refused to fight because you had new shoes?” he remarked and she poked her tongue out as her friends laughed.

Under the table, his hand caught hers where it rested on his leg and he twined his fingers in hers. She sent him a quick look but then turned back to her friends.

“Sounds like you’ve been having fun on patrol then,” Willow exclaimed.

“Well, yeah,” she replied with a shrug, “Nice to have some company… even if he does like to think he’s better at my job than I am.”

She sent Spike a pointed look and he smirked.

“Just jealous, love.”

She rolled her eyes and her friends laughed again – and she started to relax and started to worry less about hiding from them.



When her friends went to dance, they were left alone and Spike instantly leant in close, his breath ghosting over her neck.

“Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?” he murmured, letting his lips brush over her ear.

“Don’t think so,” she answered quietly, trying not to show just how much he affected her with simple words.

“You look… ravishing.”

She smiled coyly and turned to face him, running a hand over the collar of his silk shirt.

“You’re looking pretty ravishing yourself,” she said quietly, eyes flicking to the dancefloor and then back to his.

“So how soon can we leave?” he asked.

She laughed and nudged him with her elbow, the crackling tension broken for now.

“We’ve been here for less than an hour!”

“Miss you though,” he murmured, close to her ear, his hand at the small of her back and just slipping under her top, “Want you all to myself.”

She was sure he had a very good idea of the effect of his words – chose them because of it – but it made her uncomfortable with desire. She too wanted him all to herself, away from prying eyes – but it had been so long since she had seen her friends.

“A little while longer,” she murmured and he gave in, rolling his eyes playfully and leaning back in his chair, his arm slung over the back of hers.



The gang returned a few songs later and they reluctantly put a bit of distance between them, looking up as her friends sat down around the table.

“Good dancing?” she asked with a smile.

Willow nodded enthusiastically and Buffy smiled at Oz’s simple nod.

“Guess who we saw?” Xander remarked.

“Who?”

“That college guy. You know, the one you were hanging out with that time. What was his name again?”

“Toby, wasn’t it?” Willow added.

For a moment, what they were saying didn’t sink in – she had frozen up with Xander’s first words – but she quickly shook it away, throwing a worried look at Spike before turning to them.

“Todd,” she answered quietly, glancing at Spike again, worried by the muscle ticking in his jaw.

“Yeah. He was dancing with some girl,” Willow explained, almost sympathetically, “I thought you two were getting, you know, with the friendly.”

“Erm, well, you know…” she answered uncertainly.

“Oh hey, there he is!” Xander remarked, pointing towards the dancefloor.

Before she could do anything, Spike was up and out of his seat and with a twisted smile at her bewildered friends, she rushed after him.



She couldn’t reach him before he had Todd by the collar though, almost nose to nose with the other man, his expression flooded with anger.

“You know, I should teach you a bloody lesson,” Spike growled just as she reached them, “Wonder how good you’d be chatting up the girls when I rip out your throat.”

She stepped forward quickly and put a hand on Spike’s arm.

“Spike,” she said quietly.

“Buffy?” Todd piped up but when she glared at him, he sensibly stayed quiet, squirming under Spike’s angry gaze and trying to free himself from Spike’s grip on his shirt.

“Is there a problem here?”

She realised then that half of the club was focussed on them and turned to the bouncer with a pacifying smile.

“It’s fine,” she said sweetly, tightening her grip on Spike’s arm, “We’re going.”

“I think you’d better.”

Spike didn’t budge for long seconds, eyes fixed on the younger man with rage, but finally he released Todd with a slight shove. She quickly grabbed his arm and used her Slayer strength to guide him towards the door of the club, all eyes on them. She practically dragged him outside and they stopped just along the alleyway.



She just stood and watched him for long moments, waiting for him to say something.

“I’m not going to apologise,” he finally said, “Poof deserved it.”

“Didn’t ask you to, did I?” she countered, softening and taking a step towards him, one hand on his chest, “What are you doing, you crazy vampire?”

“Scaring the stupid little bastard, hopefully,” he answered, his voice still tinged with anger, “That’ll teach him to go anywhere near my girl.”

She couldn’t exactly be mad when he said things like that but she was also worried at just how angry he still was.

“Doesn’t matter, does it?” she said softly, her hand still resting on his chest, “I am your girl.”

“He hurt you.”

“Yeah, well, it was my own fault,” she answered sadly, “Much as I’d like to blame him for it.”

“Ponce still took advantage. You’re only young… he was older and he knew what he was doing.”

“Spike, you do realise how hypocritical that sentence was?” she commented with a smile but when he tensed, she continued quickly, “I just mean… you’re like a hundred years older than me.”

“I wouldn’t force you to do something you didn’t want to do.”

Now, how to explain that she hadn’t exactly been forced without dredging up painful memories? Luckily, she was saved from having to answer by the timely appearance of her friends.



They were all staring at Spike and she stepped back, moving her hand from him.

“Man, what was that?” Xander asked in shock.

Spike straightened, jutting his chin out defiantly but she placed a hand on his arm and he backed down just a tiny bit.

“I… well, you know me and Todd were sort of… friendly…” she got out reluctantly, feeling Spike tense underneath her hand, “Well, erm, he… I mean, we-“

“Poof used her and then dumped her,” Spike bit out angrily, shaking her hand off and leaning back against the wall, pulling out a cigarette. Her friends turned horrified looks on her and she smiled wryly.

“Something like that,” she admitted.

“Buffy, why didn’t you tell us?” Willow asked.

“It was kinda… embarrassing. And you know… not with the fun.”

There was a moment’s silence as she watched her friends process this new information. Xander turned slightly and spoke up, his words directed at Spike.

“I’m surprised you didn’t bite that jerk.”

She and Spike were both surprised by his words but then Spike’s surprise settled into anger.

“Tempting, ‘cept that’d be too good for the rotten bastard. I’m not the torturing kind but it’s looking like a good idea right now.”

“Okaaay,” she intervened, pressing a hand to his chest again, “Calm down.”

Spike relaxed a tiny amount at her touch and she smiled up at him shakily.

“I appreciate that you want to inflict, like, major bodily damage on that jerk… but I really just want to forget about it,” she said and she saw him soften, “And if he does need his ass kicking… I’ll be the one doing it.”



Spike paused for a moment but then nodded uncertainly.

“Whatever you want, love.”

She smiled at him softly and quickly turned back to her friends, hoping that her feelings weren’t as blatantly obvious as they seemed to her.

“Well, I guess that’s the fun over. We better not come back in.”

“We can go somewhere else,” Willow suggested.

“No, it’s fine. You guys go have fun. We’ll go patrol.”

“Too bloody right,” Spike muttered, throwing his cigarette to the floor, “I need to kill something.”

She sent him a smile and then quickly said her goodbyes to her friends. They headed back inside and she and Spike moved along the alleyway together, headed for the street. Before they could reach it though, she pulled him aside, watching him with worried eyes.

“You’re not going to be sneaking out and killing him later, are you?”

He sighed and drew her close, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

“I want to,” he admitted, “Want to make him sorry for ever touching you.”

“Just forget about him,” she whispered, raising her eyes to his, “You’re the one that gets to touch me now.”

She laced her fingers in his to emphasize her point and he smiled ever so slightly, running a hand over her arm.

“I love you, woman.”

She smiled and leaned into him, kissing him softly. When he began to kiss her back, she could feel the anger and jealousy radiating through him and she clung to him tighter, kissing him back and hoping to get her message through that way. And then, she felt him start to relax and he pulled back, his hands running over her back.

“Still want to kill something,” he said with a half-smile and she laughed.

“Okay then.”

She turned and looped her arm through his, setting him in motion again.





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