Previously...
Downing his triple JD in one swallow, Spike stood up and held out his hand. “Would you care to dance?”
His eyes twinkled, but Buffy saw something else there too. Uncertainty. Vulnerability. And, she realised with shock, love. Rising on legs that suddenly felt a bit weak, Buffy nodded, “You can dance?”
He took her hand. “I’m Victorian born and bred, remember? ‘Course I can bloody dance!”
Holding her quite formally with her left hand in his right and his other at the small of her back, Spike began to move to music.
“It’s not a waltz, Spike.”
She moved in closer and rested her head on his shoulder. Her hair tickled Spike’s nose and he doubted he’d ever been happier than he was just then. Emboldened by her actions, Spike dropped a kiss on the top of her head. Buffy glanced up and he swiftly looked anywhere but at her.
A small hand cupped his chin and drew his face back to meet her eyes.
“I’m sor—”
His apology got no further as her lips met his. He corrected his earlier thought. There was no doubt. This was the happiest he’d ever been. Their lips parted only when someone bumped into them. For a moment, they gazed at each other, but the spell broke as Buffy pulled out of his arms.
“I shouldn’t have done that.” Her fingers traced the surface of her lips.
Spike reached out for her. “Wasn’t complaining.” His dead heart clenched as she dodged his hand.
“I know…but…it’s…I can’t…” Buffy backed up further. “Look, I’ve got to go.”
And with that, she was gone.
Fists clenched so tight his fingernails cut crescents in his palms, Spike stared after her, blinking rapidly.
“Oh, bollocks.”
Chapter Six
Spike wasn’t sure how long he stood there, staring after the woman who controlled his unbeating heart in a way that could cause it to soar with joy or sear with pain. Unfortunately, searing was the more common occurrence. Someone bumped into him and with a sigh, rather than a glare and a curse, Spike wandered off the dance floor.
At the bar, he downed four double JDs in little more time that it took the barkeep to pour them, before he thrust his hands deep into the pockets of his duster and made his way home. He wasn’t even cheered by the sight of Thomas bound spread eagled on the bed, wriggling around and obviously trying his best to yell at Spike despite the gag in his mouth.
“Oh shut the fuck up,” said Spike, flopping down on the bed.
He leapt up quick as a flash when he realised he had positioned himself between his captive’s legs.
“I’ll just have to kip in the chair.”
“Hmmph, hmm, mmmrrr,” said Thomas.
“Well put, mate. Well put.”
“Hmm…mmmrrh!”
“Oh, don’t bleeding nag.”
Spike sighed dramatically and untied Thomas’s ankles, deftly avoiding the kick aimed at him, before moving up to release his wrists from the cuffs. As Spike’s fingers touched Thomas’s bare flesh, his whole body tensed and his muffled cry wasn’t quite as muffled as you’d expect.
“What the hell?” Leaning closer, Spike could see a rash of angry looking blisters on Thomas’s skin. “You better not have some weird kind of disease.”
Spike unlocked the handcuff. His hand freed, Thomas whipped the gag out of his mouth and screamed, in a very unmanly way, for Spike to stop.
“Jeez, I was only going to undo the other one,” Spike said with a glower.
“Give me the key!”
“Only if you say please.”
The vampires stared at each other for a while, then Spike shrugged and tossed him the key.
“What’s wrong with you anyway?”
“It’s not me.” Thomas tossed the final cuff to the floor. “It’s you.”
“What do you mean, it’s me? I haven’t done anything…well apart from tying you to the bed and gagging you.” He smiled his well-practiced, sheepish smile. That smile had saved him in many a tricky situation.
Thomas was immune.
Glancing round, the White Court vampire spotted a large candle and threw it at Spike. He nodded with satisfaction when it bounced off Spike’s head after connecting with a thud that made Thomas’s eyes water in sympathy.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what?” Spike rubbed the fast growing bump on his temple.
“That you’re in love.”
Spike’s eyes widened. “I am not!”
Thomas smiled. “Oh you are, Spike. You can’t hide true love from a White Court vampire.”
“Well, I can. ‘Cause I’m not in bloody love with anything…except for maybe those onion blossom thingamajigs.”
“Look!” Thomas held out his hand. “Those blisters were caused by the touch of someone who’s in love.” His eyes narrowed. “What did you do tonight? You touched me when you tied me up and there were no blisters then. So between leaving here and coming back, you must have found true love.”
“I’m a vampire…I don’t do love.”
Spike’s shot at deflection failed.
“Sure you do. Like I said, the touch of love blisters our skin.” Thomas swung his legs over the edge of the bed. “So, I repeat…what did you do tonight?”
“Nothing, just had a few drinks, is all. Needed it after hearing you yammering all the bloody time.”
Thomas smiled his patented tell me everything smile.
Spike glared at him.
“Look at me like that for much longer and I’ll be wanting to shag you. Do you really want blisters there?”
His already pale face blanched and Thomas looked away rapidly. “Just tell me. Where’s the harm in that? I’ve told you all about Buffy and so why can’t you tell me about who you’ve fallen for?”
“Nothing to tell.”
Spike’s voice began to have an edge to it, but Thomas persisted all the same.
“Just please don’t tell me that you’ve got back with Drusilla.”
Only Thomas’s reflexes kept Spike from grabbing his throat, as he scooted back out of reach.
“There was nothing wrong with Dru…I was with her for a century.”
“More fool you,” muttered Thomas into his fist.
“What was that?”
“Nothing.” Thomas smiled brightly. “So what are we going to do now, then?”
“I’m going to see if I can find something I can kill – don’t rightly care what you get up to.”
“I’ll come too. Just let me get my shotgun out of the trunk.”
“Shotgun? Are you a bloody cissy? What’s wrong with fists and fangs?” Spike vamped out to emphasise his point.
“Don’t have fangs, do I?” Thomas pulled back his lips revealing perfect white teeth without a fang in sight. “So excuse me, if I like to make sure I’m going to win.”
Spike rolled his eyes, walked to the corner of the crypt, rummaged about a bit and then called out, “Catch.”
Thomas caught the short handled axe with aplomb and gave it a few practice swings.
“It’s a lot quieter than a gun, but just as lethal.” Spike grinned broadly. “So what do you say? Shall we go kill a few demons?”
“Why not!” Thomas returned Spike’s grin. “It’s been a while since I was in a good fight.”
The pair strode out of the crypt and went hunting.
*~*~*~*
Leaving Spike to sleep away the daylight hours, Thomas went in search of Buffy. He found her just as she arrived at her first class.
“Hey,” he said, trying to sound casual, and not at all like he’d broken into the college office hours ago to find her schedule, and had actually been leaning against the wall for a good thirty minutes.
“Thomas!” Buffy’s voice was just short of a shriek, but still caused several people nearby to wince, including Willow.
“That’s Thomas?” whispered Willow as he pushed himself off the wall and strolled towards them.
“That’s Thomas.”
“You must be Willow,” he said politely, holding out his hand. When she took it, he brought it to his lips and kissed it. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“I have too…about you, I mean…not me…well, obviously…but…I’ll be in class.” Willow practically ran into the classroom.
“Was it something I said?” Thomas smiled at Buffy.
“No…she babbles sometimes.” Buffy bit the inside of her lip to keep from babbling herself.
“So…where do you want me to take you today?”
Buffy couldn’t believe what she was about to say. “I have to go to class.”
Thomas’s eyes widened comically. “You’re joking?”
“Nope.” Buffy shook her head. “Got to get down with the learning.”
“You don’t need to, we—”
“I have to, Thomas. I can’t afford to fall behind – any more than I am already, anyways.”
Being turned down was something completely new to Thomas. For a moment he considered using his vampire wiles to make sure that Buffy agreed to come with him, but then he pushed the thought firmly out of his mind. He liked her too much for that. If she was with him, he wanted to be sure it was because she wanted it, and not because he’d compelled her.
“Lunch! You get a lunch break?”
She nodded. “Twelve-thirty.”
“I shall meet you then. I’ll bring a picnic.”
He bent down and brushed his lips against hers in a chaste kiss that made her ache for more. A guy saying he’d bring a picnic should have sounded lame, but lame was not a word that you could use around Thomas.
“Great. I’d better go.” The temptation to go with him now was almost too strong to resist despite what she’d said.
Thomas made her mind up for her, by whirling on his heels and striding along the corridor.
“’Til twelve-thirty, Miss Summers!”
He spun around just long enough to blow her a kiss, before going out the door.
“Are you going to stand there all day, Miss Summers?” Walsh’s sharp voice made her jump.
“Oh! Sorry, Professor.”
As Buffy scurried into the room, the TA, Riley, caught her eye and smiled. She gave a curt nod back. How could I have thought he was cute? Still pondering that moment of madness, she found her seat beside Willow and tried not to fall asleep as Walsh droned on.
*~*~*~*
True to his word, Thomas was waiting for her on the front steps. “Is there somewhere quiet that we can go?”
“Uh…we could go to the bleachers,” Buffy said doubtfully.
“Bleachers it is.”
Thomas jogged back to his car, affording Buffy a very pleasant view of his leather-clad bottom, and returned bearing an old-fashioned wicker picnic basket and a checked woollen blanket.
“Lead on!” he said with a grin when he returned.
Feeling a little self-conscious at walking through the school grounds with a man carrying a picnic hamper, no matter how hot he was, Buffy guided him to a secluded spot. Thomas spread out the blanket and held her hand as she sat on it.
“So, how was your morning?” he said, opening the basket and setting out several Tupperware containers in front of them.
Buffy giggled. “It was okay…well, no…it was crap, but…” She blushed slightly as Thomas raised a brow. “But, it’s looking up now.” The smile she got in return to her words made her body heat up.
“You haven’t even eaten yet.”
Her eyes trailed to his groin and the blush deepened. I can’t believe what I’m thinking I’d like to do. A glance at Thomas’s face revealed a shit-eating grin that told her he knew exactly what she was thinking.
“Strawberry?” he said.
“Huh?” Buffy blinked and shook her head.
His laugh further melted her insides. “I asked if you’d like a strawberry. I dipped them in chocolate especially for you.”
He waved a plump berry in front of her lips, letting its chocolate covered tip brush them. When she tried to bite it, he whisked it away and kissed her lips briefly instead.
“Stop teasing!”
“You have to choose. Which do you want? The strawberry? Or a kiss?”
“You’re kidding?”
“Nope!” Thomas smiled, but was careful not to use his vampiric talents on her.
“Well…in that case…”
She leaned forward, her eyes locked onto Thomas’s sensuous mouth, and snatched the berry from his hand, sitting up with a triumphant snort.
“Hey!” Thomas frowned, not sure he liked coming second to a piece of fruit.
Buffy bit into the strawberry and muttered around it, “What did you expect? I’m a girl and there was chocolate involved.”
“Buffy Summers, you are simply adorable. How many of those will you have to eat before I get my kiss?” He offered the tub to her.
“Oh…I’m thinking maybe six?”
“I’m not that patient.” He held a berry to her lips and grinned as she bit it. “You can have this one and then I need a kiss.”
She took the remainder of the fruit from his fingers. “I can live with that.”
The picnic progressed over the hour, with on average one item eaten for every kiss they shared. It was with reluctance that Buffy tore herself away to go to afternoon class.
*~*~*~*
Spike groaned when Thomas threw a candle at him to wake him up. “Are you still sodding here?”
“I’ll ignore that. What are we doing tonight?” Thomas sat on the bed, being careful not to touch any of Spike’s bare skin, of which there was plenty since the vampire slept in the nude.
“We are doing nothing. I’m going out – got some contacts to see, and they won’t like it if you’re there too.”
“Contacts? What are you trying to find out?”
Spike rolled his eyes. “I’ve just got to find out some…stuff.”
“Stuff?” Thomas laughed. “What stuff? You’re making it up.”
“No, I’m bloody not! Just nothing you need to know about, so piss off!”
“Okay, okay! I know when I’m not wanted. I’ll find something to do.”
Spike glared at him. “Not in Sunnydale.”
“What?” Thomas scowled. “You’re saying I can’t go out here?”
Jabbing a finger at him, Spike nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. I’m meeting my…er…contact in the Bronze and that’s the only place to hang out.”
“You know something, Spike?” Thomas said with a weary sigh.
“What?”
“There’s a reason that you don’t have any friends.”
“Yeah?” Spike’s eyes widened. “What’s that then? And I do have friends!”
Thomas didn’t bother to respond, just walked back to ground level, then called, “I’ll see you later!”
*~*~*~*
Thirty minutes later, Thomas peered out from the crypt he’d been hiding behind and watched Spike stride towards the town. The knowledge that Spike was in love, coupled with the fact he’d warned to stay away from the Bronze, told Thomas one thing. Spike was meeting the woman he was in love with in the Bronze.
Thomas let Spike get out of sight before he followed, not wanting to risk getting caught. One inside the club, he skulked in the shadows beneath the balcony as he scanned the place for Spike. He spotted him, just as the vampire’s face lit up with love. Thomas swung his gaze round to see the object of Spike’s desire, and his heart nearly stopped. Buffy was pushing through the throng, a smile on her face.
He watched as Spike dipped his head and glanced at her almost bashfully. Poor Spike, he always loses his heart to the wrong person. Thomas knew from the kisses he’d shared with Buffy that day, that the girl certainly didn’t love Spike back. Not wanting to further intrude, Thomas slipped outside.
TBC
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Betad by seapealsh and dawnofme. Banner by dawnofme. Sorry for the long wait.
Chapter End Notes:
Sorry for the long wait - please let me know if you're still reading so I can kick my muse up its arse and get another chapter out soon! LOL