4 hours later: 5 am Saturday
Spike woke up first smiling down at Buffy who had her backside snuggled against his front and his arm was wrapped around her. Her blond head was resting on his arm and she looked very cozy as the blanket was tucked around them both. He dreaded going back but he knew he needed to but at least this time around he could take a normal shower in her shower upstairs. Plus he needed to get out of there before her mum showed up.
He scolded himself thinking that he would meet Buffy’s mum by sleeping with her daughter. He kissed Buffy on the head and she woke up whispering, “Where are you going?”
Spike frowned as he admitted, “I’m going to take a shower, head to my crypt to change my clothes and sneak in before Drusilla and Angel notice I’m not around. I have to go play invalid.”
Buffy nodded and snuggled up against him even closer making it harder for him to leave, “I wish you could stay.”
He kissed her forehead again and whispered, “Me too, luv, me too. You keep sleeping okay? We had a long night and I’ll swing by and pick you up all proper like for our date at 8.”
Buffy nodded yawning as she murmured back, “We can feed you at the crypt before heading over.”
Spike nodded as he reluctantly crawled over Buffy feeling his legs still not be 100% as he carefully held on to the walls as he walked and climbed the stairway up the stairs. He easily found Buffy’s room, which was next to the bathroom and held on tightly to the walls as he entered the bathroom removing his clothes. He enjoyed the feeling of the hot water and chose to use bar soap from under the sink rather than Buffy’s soap knowing vampires would know the difference. He rinsed his hair finding some shampoo for highlighted hair that must belong to Buffy’s mum and used that on his hair. When he was finished he stepped out of the shower wrapping a towel around him and grabbed his leather jacket taking a whiff thankful the thing never kept her smell and wrapped it around his almost naked body.
He threw his pants into a plastic bag and leaned over giving Buffy another kiss sliding his shirt over her head in case her mum came home before she woke up, then he wheeled out into the night thankful he had about an hour left until sunrise. He didn’t see anyone about as he went into the crypt changing into the clothes he had placed out the night before and wheeled back to the mansion feeling nervous about staying out so long.
To his surprise, no one noticed he was missing except one minion who greeted him offering him a jar of pig’s blood which Spike accepted having to keep up the image of being helpless and unable to walk or kill. He drained the jar and the minion offered, “Where were you all night Master?”
Spike shrugged, “Out for a stroll in the moonlight. Anyone notice I was gone?”
The minion shook his head taking the jar from Spike and suggested, “Be careful about heading out all night or they might remember your existence.”
Spike nodded closing the door on the minion and stood up grinning at the fact he could strip and crawl into bed normally without wiggling around on the wheelchair all pathetic like. He closed his eyes thinking of the slayer and how much his life had changed in just a few short days.
v
6 hours later: 11 am. Saturday
Buffy yawned as she woke up finding herself wearing Spike’s shirt. She smiled as she heard movement in the kitchen. She quickly stood up tossing the blanket aside and tiptoed up the stairs to be in the shower when her mom found her. She stripped tossing Spike’s shirt on her bed and ran into the shower to start the water before Buffy’s mom could see her.
In the shower, she found herself humming softly a tune feeling quite content. She was careful not to touch either mark on her neck not wanting to alert Angel now that Spike was finally healing. She grinned as she washed her body feeling it tingle under her touch but knew it wasn’t the time to be feeling such feelings and knew in such a few short hours, she would be pinned on the floor of the crypt begging for Spike.
Carefully she washed her hair trying to decide to leave it down or wear it up for the dance tonight. She wanted to look her best hoping that perhaps with the right amount of effort, if nothing else, Spike wouldn’t forget her as he took Dru far from here. She sighed not wanting to spend her time thinking of Dru as she stepped out of the shower hearing her mom yell, “I’m doing laundry. Do you have anything in there with you?”
Buffy yelled back, “Just two towels I’m about to use.”
Buffy towel dried her hair admiring the bite mark on her from Spike noticing she had expected her neck to be littered with marks but instead they didn’t show except for the one from last night. Apparently he had taken great care to make sure they weren’t harmful and wouldn’t leave a mark. She wondered if his claim mark would leave a mark but decided that dreaming about such things weren’t in her best interest.
Instead she distracted herself as she wrapped a towel around her hair and body and walked into her bedroom. Her mom was sitting in her room on her bed holding up Spike’s black shirt. Buffy thought fast and said, “Yesterday when I was out at the Bronze, I ripped my shirt and Spike was nice enough to let me borrow his so I wouldn’t expose anything.”
Her mom frowned glancing down at the shirt again and Buffy explained, “I have a new boyfriend. You will get to meet him tonight.”
Joyce’s face lit up at this idea. She seemed to like the idea of Buffy having a boyfriend but then asked, “What happened with Angel exactly?”
Buffy bit her lower lip as she admitted, “He wasn’t who I thought he was. Don’t let him in the house still. He’s crazy or something. He is stalkerish and I didn’t notice it before.”
Joyce nodded and spoke gently, “I’d like to meet your new boyfriend. Can he perhaps come over to dinner?”
Buffy smiled as she nodded, “If I can get a hold of him before the dance then I’ll ask if he can stay for dinner.”
Joyce smiled as she hugged her daughter, “Get dressed Buffy I have some things I’d like to show you that I bought. They are amazing and I’m thinking of keeping one for our house because I think it suits the living room.”
Buffy smiled as her mom drifted from the room leaving Spike’s shirt behind. Buffy lifted up Spike’s shirt to her nose breathing in the scent of leather and smoke as she let out a deep breath and pulled a white tank top from her drawer and a red pull over for now knowing she would want to change before the dance tonight. She chose a pair of black slacks that were simple but would do the trick until she changed later. She might even pamper herself with a bubble bath before Spike arrived. She did a turn in the mirror then raced downstairs to call Willow before checking out the items her mom had from the auction.
5 hours later: 4 pm. Saturday
Buffy snuck around the factory hoping to find Spike’s window or something that would alert Spike to her presence before Angel. She walked quietly as she heard a growl and saw a blanketed Spike who yanked her by the arm into a shack nearby. He tossed the blanket off his head practically hissing in an effort to keep his voice down, “You are bloody stupid. You know that? You have a scent that is distinct Buffy. You don’t think if I can smell you, that Angel can’t? What about Dru or the minions? Bloody hell Buffy, do you wish to die?”
Buffy was shaking her head frantically honestly not thinking of scent as much as noise. She frowned as tears fell down her face and he brushed them away, “I can’t really hold you luv. I don’t have a shower here but what did you need?”
She took a step back and remembered why she was there, “Mom wanted me to invite you to dinner at 7 pm right at sunset. Is that ok? She’s making lasagna my favorite.”
Spike longed to hold her or touch her or something but didn’t dare as he nodded in agreement. She grinned, “Ok I’ll let her know you can come. Knock first and all that good stuff. Willow and Oz are coming over too because I’m having Willow help me choose what to wear.”
He glanced down at her red pull over and black pants and chuckled, “You look just fine luv.”
Buffy shook her head giggling, “No I look normal. I want to look special.”
Spike grinned as he suggested, “I best get back in there and you, you be careful. It might be light out but dammit your scent is bloody strong and smells good like vanilla and strawberries.”
She grinned, “Soap and shampoo.”
He nodded and leaned over careful not to touch her as he placed a kiss on her lips then broke it off before she could wrap her arms around his neck. He nodded as he waved and she waved back as he re-covered himself rushing back into the factory cursing Buffy and her thoughtlessness that was going to have this end badly if she didn’t straighten up.