*The Bronze, the next Friday evening*
The Bronze was as packed as anyone would expect on a Friday when an almost close to famous band from out of town was playing. The people making up the usual mismatched gathering of teens, college goers, and regulars were doing their best to cram as much conversation in the breaks between songs as possible. The bar was as overcrowded as one would expect on such an evening, and throngs were milling around the already full tables in the futile hope someone would make room at some point.
Sitting at one such prized table was a group almost as mixed as the rest of the crowd: a nerdy redhead, a cheerleader-type blonde, and a ‘Prom Queen’ brunette girl, accompanied by Xander, who was feeling pretty good whenever he caught the half-hostile-half-envy looks some of the guys milling about were giving him.
That being said, Cordelia was hanging around them way too much lately. So much, in fact, that Xander was beginning to fear he’d run out of snide remarks to throw her way.
“Whenever you decide to stop ‘slumming it’ with us lowly peons, feel free to go away. Even the slums need a break from your particular brand of bitch.” Okay, so maybe he could still find something to say.
Cordy just barely looked at him long enough to sneer. “Serves me right for doing a public service and trying to grace you with my presence. Maybe I will go, but only when I decide it!”
She didn’t seem at all inclined to leave, though, and that might have had something to do with the bleached blond vampire that was headed their way with a tray filled with drinks. And how come he got to take a tray with? No sooner had that thought crossed Xander’s mind, that he could hear Cordelia express her delight, in her own special way.
“About time you showed up! I’m wasting precious mingling time by hanging around you losers.” She took her drink from Spike’s hand and took a big pull from the straw, only to stop and cough softly, her eyes wide. “This isn’t just Diet Coke.”
Buffy tasted her own drink and gave Spike a disapproving glare when she realized it was probably altered as well.
The self-styled Master of Sunnydale smirked. “Evil vampire, luv. You didn’t actually expect me to obey that whole ‘no alcohol to minors’ rot? So the girls got a bit of rum, and we guys get a bit of tequila. Seems fair to me.” He then took a healthy gulp of the pink drink that had given Xander pause.
What the hell? Xander immediately did the same and decided he liked the bitter taste, and decided to totally ignore the pink color. If it’s manly enough for Spike, it’s good enough for me, too. And it tastes better than beer. Still, it begged the question. “What is this?”
“It’s called a Paloma: tequila, grapefruit soda, and lime juice, but if someone comes sniffing around, just call it juice.”
“And how come you didn’t just bring a bottle of booze, some salt, and a few limes?” Xander was still curious, but that didn’t stop him from drinking some more.
“I’m easing you light-weights in to the real stuff. I figured starting you off on some cocktails would open the door to bigger, better things.” He winked, then he looked at the last member of their small group, who had yet to taste her drink. “Go on, Red, it’s not gonna bite you!”
From the movement Xander felt under the table, he must have received a small kick to the shin for his efforts from Buffy. “Stop trying to corrupt the innocent!” Buffy clearly didn’t actually mean it, otherwise she wouldn’t have had that sly grin on her face.
Queen C was busy sipping away at her drink with enthusiasm, though. “Oh, come on Willow, live a little! This might just be the single most exciting event in your entire life until now. Probably the rest of your life, too.” She then looked at Spike again. “You just might make yourself useful enough if you keep up this kind of treatment for me to ignore the fact that you are a walking corpse.”
Spike almost snorted out his drink through his nose at that, and Xander was curious to see the Master vampire laugh out loud at that characterization of him. He was also pretty sure that he himself wouldn’t have gotten away with it that easily. Even the Evil dead gives Cordy special treatment.
“Watch it, Cordy! That’s my boyfriend you’re talking about.” Buffy seemed to pause for effect, which only meant she was getting ready to pounce for the kill. “Actually, now that I mention it. Where exactly is your boyfriend and why are you hanging around us, ‘losers’ when your adoring drones must be somewhere around here, wandering about like headless bimbos. Well, more so than they already are, anyway.”
Xander wasn’t exactly sure who was more surprised by Buffy’s calling Spike her boyfriend, but by the look on the vampire’s face, he was the odds-on favorite.
Cordelia just huffed in annoyance, finished her drink in one long slurp, then presented the glass to Spike with every bit of haughtiness to fit the moniker ‘Queen C’ she’d put on her car’s registration plates. “I need a refill.”
If the Slayer’s glare could have turned to daggers, Cordy would have been ripped to shreds. As it was, Cordelia remained unfazed as Spike got up and walked away, chuckling the whole time, after a carefree “I like you, you’ve got spirit” thrown her way.
“I can’t believe how crass you’re being, Cordy. It’s a whole new level, even for you.” Buffy was apparently not going to let things slide as easily as her date.
“What? I just told him I needed a refill, I didn’t force him to go get me one.”
“Sometimes I can’t believe you’re for real.” Willow’s statement was something of a rarity, especially since it was one of the few times she’d said something throughout the night.
“Don’t worry, as soon as your pet vamp comes back, I’m going to find someone better to hang out with.”
The rest of the people at the table threw each other exasperated looks, but didn’t comment further, especially when another presence made itself known next to them.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the girl’s group.” Larry had been a thorn in Xander’s side since grade school, and over time he’d only gotten worse. On many occasions he’d been stuffed into lockers, shoved, locked in bathroom stalls, and so on by the notorious school bully. And just like the proverbial bad penny, he was around when nobody wanted him to be. “Oh, Geez, could that drink be any gayer, Xander? Look, guys, I bet it’s the same shade of pink as his room.” The four other football players which were obviously in the process of trolling for girls started laughing nastily.
Xander felt like crawling in a pit at the bottom of the Hellmouth.
Just as Willow was getting ready to speak up, another voice made itself heard through the blaring music.
“Mate, let me know if you need me to tell the barkeep to put more tequila in for the next round, yeah? Wouldn’t want you thinking it was too soft.” Spike managed to saunter over to the table and present Cordy with her renewed drink seemingly without giving any attention to the jocks crowding the seated group. Making a false double take, he continued to address Xander. “You didn’t introduce me to your friends, Harris.”
The jocks led by Larry were caught off guard both by Spike’s attitude, and by his claim that the drinks were alcoholic, but a bully was always a bully. “What the fuck, Harris, you started to hand around with even bigger losers than you? Look at this guy, did your cousin decide to visit from the 80’s?” The sniggers were much more subdued now that the footballers were busy eyeing the drinks laid out on the table.
Spike gave Buffy a peck on her cheek, sat down next to her, deliberately grabbed his own pink glass, and downed half of it in one gulp. “Xander, it’s your call how this goes.”
For his part, the young man was completely thrown for a loop.
He’d only agreed to come that night to meet Spike ‘officially’ after he’d told himself he’d hate the guy, no matter what. He was, after all, the vampire-type-dude who had made Buffy’s life a roller-coaster since he’d rolled into town, and had almost killed her—something that seemed to be a taboo subject whenever he’d tried to bring it up. Another thing that didn’t sit well with Xander was how a member of the undead seemed to be winning everyone over, one by one.
From what Buffy’d said, he had hired her dad, and had even started working with her mom on some sort of project for the gallery; Giles was saying over and over again how amazed he was at Spike’s behavior as the Master, his words holding an uncomfortable amount of enthusiasm; Willow, Miss Calendar, and even Cordelia seemed to have some sort of warped hero worship, completely ignoring the guy was an evil bloodsucker, and Buffy herself was dating him. This left Xander as the last voice of reason—or at least that’s what he thought.
Then he’d started actually speaking to the guy and he’d seemed, well, likable. While Buffy was in the hospital, Spike had hardly left her side, but he hadn’t been exactly chatty. When they met up at the Bronze, though, he was making jokes, securing tables, and getting them drinks, just like a regular guy would have. True, maybe a human wouldn’t have actually brought the under-aged teens alcohol, but that had served to score major points against the bullies that had been making Xander’s life difficult for years.
And now, judging by the cold, calculating blue eyes fixed on him, Spike was willing to spill blood for him. Of course, Buffy was there, and the pact the two supernatural beings had signed would prevent any permanent harm, but Xander was pretty sure the Sunnydale football team would have to make do without some of its key players for at least a week once Spike was done with them. And all Xander had to do was unleash him. All of a sudden, he felt more powerful than he had in a very long time.
“Don’t worry about it. These are just some guys who think that because they’re on the football team they’re better than the rest of us. Not worth spending your time on.”
“What you yanks call football is just a pansy version of rugby, you know that, right?” Spike looked like he was talking just to Xander again, but the barb was clearly meant to dismiss the jocks.
Said jocks seemed at a complete loss about how to act, and the confusion on their faces made Xander’s heart soar. I might pay for it later, but damn, does this feel good!
Larry placed his hand on Spike’s shoulder from behind, trying to look as menacing as possible. “What did you just say, you bleached freak? You think you’re man enough to talk like that?”
“Spike, don’t!”
Buffy’s warning came just as the vampire, after flashing Xander a very nasty smirk, rose up in a fluid motion while he pulled Larry’s fingers back, leaving him standing over the now whimpering school bully. “I said that you seem like the type of person trying a little too hard to overcompensate for something.” He narrowed his eyes. “I wonder what that something might be.”
When Larry’s friends made to move on Spike, he flexed the hand holding the bully’s fingers. “Let’s not get any ideas, or your friend’s new nickname will be ‘Lefty.’” He then winked at Buffy, who was watching the whole scene unfold, clearly ready to jump in and take her boyfriend down if he went too far. “Let’s get something straight: a real man doesn’t need to prove himself, he could be wearing a tutu, and still be a man.” He sneered at the downed teen. “Now, Harris, tell me if the Sunnyhell team needs to find a replacement for this guy.”
Xander was still reeling from what was happening. He’s deliberately only talking to me to show them he’s on my side. Not the girls, not for himself, but he’s doing this for me. If I play my cards right, I’ll never have to fear Larry, or any of his cronies again. The thought brought a knot in his stomach, like before a test you actually studied for, but still fear because of past experience. “I already told you, man: let him go, he’s not worth it.” Why aren’t the bouncers showing up, though? Are they under Spikes power too?
The vampire leaned a bit closer to Larry’s ear, but spoke loud enough that his friends could hear too. “You’re getting a free pass tonight, wanker, and it’s only because Xander said so. If I ever come across you piss-ants trying to bully anyone again, I’ll show you exactly how fast I can put you all in crutches.” He flexed his hand again, making Larry grimace. “And trust me: I’ll know.” He pushed the teen away from him and straightened up at the same time. “Now you best get home before your curfew, yeah?”
Before anyone could regain their footing, out of nowhere it seemed, three very broad shouldered bouncers showed up and started herding the jocks to the exit, while Spike turned his back to them and sat down.
“So, what were we all saying?”
Xander burst out laughing, unsure himself exactly about what felt so funny all of a sudden, but unable to stop all the same. Distantly he heard Buffy admonish Spike about being mean, and him brush it off, but even through his hysteria, Xander could tell she was almost pleased. Larry was a menace and Buffy herself had been on the brink of throwing him through a wall on a couple of occasions. All things considered, everything couldn’t have turned out better. The relief was overwhelming.
“Are you okay?” Willow was looking worried, or maybe it was just the tears that had sprung up in Xander’s eyes from all the laughing.
He finally managed to get a grip on himself, breathing deeply and taking another long sip of his drink. “I’m fine, Wills. I’ve just never seen Larry look so small before.” He threw a big smile Spike’s way. “That was almost too good to be true.”
The vampire nodded. “Don’t mention it; really, don’t.”
“Fascinating as all of this isn’t, I have people to see, appearances to make.” Cordelia faked a sigh. “The life of me is always demanding.” She then got up and flounced away, without even saying ‘goodbye’, or ‘thanks for the drinks’.
“There she goes: Hurricane Cordelia out in force.” Willow shook her head. “Why exactly does she keep hanging around if we’re so beneath her?”
“Because she likes you lot, but her friends wouldn’t get it, so she’s covering all her bases.” Spike shrugged as if to say he didn’t really care. “She’s just putting off having to choose between the two worlds.”
“Whoa, since when are you so insightful about high school politics?” Buffy was obviously teasing him, as was evident by her big ‘he’s my boyfriend’ grin she had on.
“Since I’ve been around for a century of nothing ever changing in how teenage politics work. Plus I get bored, so I watched all the 80’s flicks.”
Everyone chuckled as the much-awaited band took up their posts on stage.
~~~***~~~
*In front of Sunnydale High, the next Monday*
Spike walked up to Buffy after having seen her, Cordelia, and some guys that looked like college students talk, before the males drove away in their convertible.
“Hello, luv!”
She must have sensed him, but she still jumped slightly at his voice. “Oh, hi Spike!”
He kissed her lightly, but something seemed off and he was willing to bet all his winnings from the previous week of kitten poker that it had something to do with the college boys. “What’s wrong, luv?”
“Nothing, honest.” She kept her arms loosely banded around his shoulders. “It’s just that there were these guys, college guys, that invited Cordy to some frat party and they wanted me to come too. I told them I ‘thanks, but no thanks, I have a boyfriend.’” She seemed very happy with herself, and it warmed Spike’s heart, but the uneasy feeling was still there for some reason.
“The Cheerleader’s going, though?” At Buffy’s not, he added. “On her own?”
She frowned slightly. “Well, yeah. Why?”
He took her hand and they both started to walk along the street. “Because I don’t think this will end well for her.”
“What? No! I mean, they seemed like decent guys.” Her frown had gotten deeper. “I think you’re just being jealous.” She stopped him and got in front to look him in the eye. “I told you, I said ‘no.’ And Cordy only asked me because she said I know how to behave like an adult, and considering her Cordettes, that’s something they’re not very good at. Along with being nice to anyone that’s not a jock or a cheerleader.”
“I wasn’t worried about you, but this just…” He tan a hand through his hair, searching for the words to express the weird nagging feeling he had. “Let me tell you a story, and you tell me how it goes. One guy was the one that invited the Cheerleader—telling her to bring some friends to feel more in her element, as long as they knew how to have real fun—another one started insulting him about going out with someone inexperienced, not mature enough, or some such rot, and a third supposedly came down on the second about being a prick, then tried to invite you to go along.” He took in her shocked face. “How am I doing so far?”
“Were you listening in?” She had gone straight to outraged now.
“No, didn’t catch a word, was just coming around when they sped off in that overcompensation-mobile. I just know the script. One’s the ‘in,’ another is the ‘prick,’ supposed to make you feel silly if you don’t go along, and the third’s the ‘charmer,’ to seal the deal. ” He looked away from her eyes. “Seen it often enough.”
“When—? Never mind, I’m pretty sure I don’t want to know.”
She let go of his hand and he felt the loss acutely. Why am I telling her this again? Right, cause she’ll hate me when the other chit goes missing and she susses out I could have stopped it. Maybe. Bugger.
He grabbed her arm and turned her to face him again “Look, if something happens to her, it’s no skin off my nose, but I know you. You’ll start thinking that maybe if you’d have gone with, you could have saved her, or that it was your fault for dating an older guy for her trying her luck at it, or something else equally daft.”
“Hey!” She made the token protest, but her eyes spoke volumes. She knew he was right.
“Just tell her you’ll go with, feed her some rot about wanting to see what the fuss is about, or getting some experience to keep up with your worldly boy-toy, but don’t take your eyes off her once you get there. I’ll come over too, at some point, and worst case scenario we’ll just have our first college party together. How’s that sound?”
She smirked and put her arms around his shoulders again. “Boy toy?”
He smiled, relieved that she was agreeing, even without saying the actual words. “Boy toy, man toy, vamp toy—” He kissed her long and deep, leaving her panting. “I can be anything you like.” He couldn’t have kept the huskiness out of his voice if he’d tried.
She blushed and it made her look even more endearing. “Yeah, I—I’ll tell Cordy I’ll go with her.” Her voice wavered a bit, so he didn’t hold it against her that she didn’t take him up on his challenge.
She needs time, and that’s something I’ve got in spades to give to her.
“Are you sure you can get in the party after us?”
He leered at her, making sure she could tell the double meaning of his words. “Don’t worry, I usually get in everywhere I want. Eventually.”
She lightly slapped his shoulder. “You’re a pig.” Her bright smile belied her words.
“That I am, baby. Your pig.” He then laced their finger together and they continued walking towards her home.
~~~***~~~
*under the Delta Zeta Kappa fraternity house, two days later*
Buffy turned her head toward Cordelia. “Spike’s so not gonna let this go anytime soon.”
“What, getting captured?” The two girls, along with another they’d never met before, were all chained up, waiting to be fed to some demon for whatever it was it was giving the frat guys.
“No, him being right.”
Before Cordy had the chance to say anything the invoked demon shot out from the well-like hole in the middle of the underground chamber. It started to sway to and fro, looking at each ‘offering,’ before seemingly deciding on Cordelia as his appetizer.
She felt the terror build up in her. Even with the Slayer here, this town is still gonna get me killed. She couldn’t really focus on anything that was going on around her, except those big black eyes looking straight at her from that snake-like face. I’m never going to look at a snake-skin handbag the same.
Then, all of a sudden, Buffy was free and attacking the demon, Spike, Xander, and Giles were charging in to help from the stairs, and Cordy sagged in relief. I’m safe.
She watched as the group took down the demon and its worshipers, including that two-faced bastard who’d pretended was interested in her. As she was making a mental list of curse words to use, Xander came closer and unlocked the manacles keeping her in place. On a whim, she hugged him and whispered ‘thanks’ in his ear.
They stepped apart and Xander looked as if he wanted to comment on her actions, when the police came in and ushered everyone out ‘for their safety.’
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Author's Chapter Notes:
So this is the ninth chapter I've uploaded today. I hope you take the time to take a look at the previous ones, and maybe even comment. :)
Chapter End Notes:
I'm off to a week of vacation, at the end of which I hope to upload yet another chapter.