The hospital run went smoothly. Spike walked right in through the front door not needing an invitation and raided the blood bank taking the blood that was older and supposed to be thrown out soon. He took enough for a solid week silently thinking to himself that he will never be touching the Slayer’s blood again since he obviously wasn’t what she wanted. He sighed and put the blood into the cooler Buffy had thought to bring. The grocery store trip also went smoothly. Buffy got all the things she needed to feed herself for a week and then some. Spike had picked up chicken, hamburger and some good juicy steaks thinking he can help feed her. As she picked up items, she admitted she couldn’t cook. So Spike picked up items he would need to attempt to make sure she ate. Things for spaghetti, cheeseburgers, fish and chips, as well as tuna casserole which Buffy admitted she had never eaten. Buffy was sure to grab some ice cream and brownie mix that she hoped to be able to convince Spike to make. Spike picked up the box and told her to grab some eggs, oil and some measuring cups. He grabbed some cigarettes, some alcohol, some sodas for Buffy, two loafs of bread, cheese, as well as some other goodies. He couldn’t resist the urge to pick up a bouquet of daisies from the florist section of the store and went to check out while she was still grabbing some other items. He asked the grocer to hide the flowers in a bag so the Slayer wouldn’t see them right away.
Buffy came back to hand the grocer the orange juice and apple juice. Spike smiled at her as he paid cash for the groceries and pushed the cart to the car to fill up the trunk and they went to a convenience store to pick up some other items. Spike remembered to get kitchenware, including oven mitts and even a small outdoor grill. Buffy grabbed the linen, some bathroom items, towels, pillows and some other household items including a rather large pink lamp that Spike told her to put back but after she pouted, he relented. Spike remembered to grab a few curtains and blinds to help on the few windows they did have. Lastly Spike grabbed a basket for the garden, some clippers for the flowers as well as a trowel, shovel and watering can they happened to have in the garden section. After they paid, they hopped into the car and headed back to their house.
Buffy left Spike to put away all the items in the kitchen and went upstairs to deal with the bathroom, and bedroom items. She frowned looking at the two bedrooms. One had a single bed and one a nice King size bed. In the tour, she had known that both existed but she didn’t really think much about where they would sleep. She sat down on the bed debating. She had gotten sheets for both but she really wanted to sleep in the big bed with Spike. She sighed not wanting to ask and seem weak so she made up both beds but put more comforters on the large bed. She realized they would eventually need clothes because even with the laundry stuff she had bought, she had only bought a few items and she had seen Spike’s bag, which held three shirts and three pairs of pants as well as 3 pairs of socks. He hadn’t planned to stay away any longer than she had. She knew they would need something more than they had brought. That would be a job for tomorrow. Perhaps she could go out when she woke up and make sure they made it out before 9 when the clothes stores in town seemed to close.
She quickly put the toilet paper, the extra toothbrush she had bought for Spike after seeing he didn’t have any, and the two bottles of hair dye into the bathroom. She had picked them up on a whim realizing she would need to dye her hair soon and after a discussion with Spike, she had picked up a bottle of his favorite as well. She had never thought to ask how he did his own hair when he couldn’t see it. She shrugged and headed downstairs after putting up the curtains and blinds in the larger bedroom and ignored the one in the guest. Buffy frowned at herself wondering just when it had become the guest room. She shrugged and skipped downstairs smelling the delicious scent of tomatoes and garlic.
Spike had picked some tomatoes from the garden and decided to make homemade spaghetti sauce. It had been forever since he had cooked which is why he had picked up a cookbook from the store. He had a few things he loved and couldn’t live without and those he knew how to cook but to be honest, he hadn’t had much practice at all. The only times he had cooked were when Dru had left him for another demon of some sort only to fall into the routine of stealing when she returned.
He took a taste of the sauce but frowned not knowing what it would taste like to human taste buds. He yelled, “Love, come here. I need you to taste this, please.”
Buffy came in eagerly because it had smelled so good. She had been working in the living room hanging curtains and blinds in the one window it had. She opened her mouth as he lifted a spoon with some sauce on it and had blown on it making sure it didn’t burn her mouth. It was such a sweet gesture that Buffy smiled. She tasted the sauce and closed her eyes in ecstasy. Sure, her mom had cooked but God, Spike’s cooking was enough to give a girl an orgasm. She opened her eyes to find Spike’s blue eyes staring at her and she smiled and spoke softly, “Very, very, good. To die for in fact.”
Spike chuckled looking a bit embarrassed, “I hope not, pet but this will be done in about 15 minutes if you want to try to set up the dining room.”
Buffy went over and took the table cloth she had grabbed at the last minute and set up two plates, two cups, and a mug for blood. Buffy had never watched a vampire drink blood but Spike had asked for him to have two mugs specifically for blood rather than using glasses. She could respect him for the fact she didn’t want to look at the red liquid in a glass. She went and opened up the container of silverware and placed a spoon and fork next to her plate and Spike’s. She looked at the table and realized she had set them up so they were sitting side by side rather than across from each other. ‘Was that appropriate? That’s how my mom had always set the table once it was only just the two of us.’ Buffy shrugged figuring Spike would tell her if it bothered him and went into the kitchen to see him humming a tune and heating a bag of blood in the microwave.
She grabbed a soda from the fridge offering it to Spike, “Want anything to drink from here?”
Spike replied while still busy with the pot of sauce, “A beer please. Can you take this bag to the table? Oh it’s blood…I understand if you don’t want to.”
Buffy took the bag without question, looking at the liquid inside of it. How could someone drink that? It was thickish and a dark red in color. For a second she was tempted to open it up and taste a tiny sip but figured that it wasn’t human food obviously. She shrugged and sat down in her seat as Spike brought in the noodles and a saucepan.
He smirked as he stated loudly, “Dig in while it’s still piping hot.”
Buffy didn’t have to be told twice. All she had had in two days almost three was some chips and crackers. This looked divine. She took a bite of the noodles that she had poured sauce over and closed her eyes for a moment enjoying the flavor. Spike watched her and smirked, “How is it?”
Buffy opened her eyes and looked at him admitting, “Definitely good.” After saying that she was quiet and stuffing her face with the noodles. She watched as Spike got his stuff ready. He vamped out to open the bag of blood and poured it into his mug taking out a little baggie that Buffy looked at him curiously but didn’t say anything. He noticed and replied, “It’s burba weed. It helps with the flavor.”
Buffy nodded and continued to eat, enjoying her meal too much to really bother to ask questions. She then watched as he took a helping of noodles out and poured some sauce over it. He took a bite of it after he twirled it around on his fork using his spoon to ensure he got it on there and closed his eyes apparently enjoying the flavor as much as she was. She smiled at him as he met her eye and he smiled back taking another bite. Then he vamped out and took a few sips of blood only to unvamp the second the mug left his lips. She found this sexy and couldn’t resist smiling down into her plate. She finished up her meal and he finished up his and took both their plates to the kitchen rinsing off the dishes. Adding soap to the dishwasher, Spike also added the dishes to run through the night. He then opened up the fridge to put the leftovers away and Buffy rested on the doorframe watching him. Buffy found herself thinking, ‘He looks so human it wasn’t funny. Perhaps there was more to this man than meets the eye.’