Spike led Buffy to the employee parking lot of The Shadow Gallery and walked over to an old black car, the make and model she wasn't sure of. He took the key out of his pants pocket and unlocked the door before yanking on the handle roughly and pulling the squeaking door open with more effort than normal.
“Your chariot, my lady.” He said as he tucked his left arm behind his back and held the door open for her.
Buffy wasn't sure what type of car she had expected Spike to have, but this was without a doubt the last thing she had expected an up and coming rock star to own. Nonetheless, she hopped inside and heard a loud pop as Spike closed the door behind her. She took a quick glance around and noticed the inside was in the same shape as the outer had been. Spike got in to the drivers seat and went through a couple extra motions before the motor roared to life and he sat back with a satisfied smile on his face.
“Nice car.” Buffy said sarcastically.
“Hey,” he said in mock anger, “not a word out of you about my wheels. Bloke's got to keep something to remind him where he came from. Keeps him from getting a big head.”
“I just expected you to have something a little more flashy.” She explained.
“Have that, too,” he said with a chuckle, “bike'll be here tomorrow morning. Can you give me a heading?”
“Oh, right,” Buffy said, “it's really easy. Just take a left at the end of the road, a right at the light, and then straight for a while.”
Spike took off out of the parking lot and down the street, making it to the left turn a lot quicker than she would have thought possible. He followed her directions and soon they were on the lengthy stretch of road that would lead them most of the way back to Buffy's dorm. They sat in a somewhat strange silence for a few minutes before Spike broke in with the question she was dreading him asking.
“So,” he said, “that guy-”
“Angel?”
“Yeah, him, he an ex-girlfriend of yours or something?”
Buffy let out a small laugh. “Something like that.”
“Well what happened?” He asked.
Buffy looked over at him, eyebrow raised and lips curling in to the faintest ghost of a smile. “Nosy aren't we?”
“I just bloody well kicked his ass back there, yeah? I think I'm entitled to a little explanation.” He said glancing over at her, a laugh lacing itself between his words.
Buffy sighed. “We dated for a couple of months about a year ago.”
“Didn't end well, I take it.” Spike said.
She nodded her head absentmindedly,turning to gaze out of the passenger side window. “You're right about that one.” She breathed. “He called me on day and told me he wanted to see the world, which I do, too, don't get me wrong, but I want to finish school first.”
“So let me get this straight,” he said, “that wanker broke up with a ten like you so he could go waltz through the jungle somewhere?”
“Pretty much.” Buffy said. “He wanted me to leave school and go with him, just up and leave. I want to make something of myself, you know? I didn't want to go traveling until I ran out of money and come back with nothing going for me.”
“That's because you've got a bloody brain, pet.” Spike said. “So...”
She sighed again and tucked a piece of golden hair behind her ear, a nervous tick she had had since she was a child. “Can we not talk about this right now? I appreciate what you did tonight, but the rest of the story, its a total downer and I just really-”
“Of course, luv. Say no more.” Spike could tell she didn't want to talk about it and decided not to press the issue. He had already gotten on her bad side once since he had met her and, as much as he had enjoyed it, he didn't want to have to beat up another one of her ex's to get back in her good graces any time soon.
“Turn left here.” She said as the sign for Roth University came in to view.
“You live on campus?” Spike asked, making the turn a bit slowly compared to the last one.
“Yup, me and Willow.”
“Willow?” He asked, a mocking tone in his voice. Gee, these girls around here had some funny names.
“She's my roommate. You can just pull over here, I can walk.” She said.
“No, no,” Spike said as he drove in through the gate, “I said I'd see you home and I am keeping my word.”
Buffy just smiled and shook her head. The rest of the drive was spent with Buffy giving him directions to her dorm and before they knew it, they had arrived. Spike put the car in park and took the key from the ignition. They sat in silence for a few seconds, neither one really sure what to do at this point.
“Well, I, uh, I should probably get in there.” Buffy stammered, motioning toward the building. “Thanks for the, you know, the ride home and everything.”
“Anytime.” He said quietly.
Buffy smiled as she tried to open the door. She pulled the handle and pushed, but the thing didn't move an inch. She quickly tried a second time, but it was still to no avail. She turned her face back to Spike, a light blush evident even in the darkness of the night. “It's stuck.” Spike let out a soft chuckle as he leaned over her, pulled the handle out, down, and pushed it to the left. The door swung free with a loud squeak. “Thanks,” she said, “I'll see you later.”
She got out of the car and pushed the door shut behind her. She was half way up the pathway to her building when she heard the door to his car open. “Buffy!” She heard him call. She turned on her heel and saw him walking with long strides toward her, hand tucked in to his pockets. He smiled as he approached her, looking like a shy child on his first day of school.
His tongue quickly darted out between his lips as he gave them a quick lick before he cleared his throat, only then did he meet her eyes. “Would you go out with me tomorrow night?”
Buffy smiled sweetly and she saw his eyes momentarily light up in excitement. “I can't.”
And that was all it took to bring him back down to earth. “Not the answer I was expecting.”
“I mean, I'd love to,” she said, “but I have this mid-term on Wednesday and I really need to study for it. Willow and I actually planned an all-nighter with books and snacks and everything.”
Spike raised an eyebrow. “Sounds exciting.” He said.
Buffy shrugged. “College student.”
“How about Friday night?” He asked.
“Working.”
“You don't make this easy, do you?” Buffy didn't say anything, she just gave him a somewhat sad looking smile, as if to apologize without actually saying sorry. He sighed as he ran a quick hand through his hair. “Can I at least have your number?” Buffy smiled that same sad smile again. “If you tell me you don't have a phone...”
Buffy's quick laugh cut him off. “No, I have a phone,” she said as she stuffed a hand inside her purse, “it's right here.” She pulled out an old, beat up looking blackberry.
Spike smiled, relieved to get some type of progress with the girl, and pulled his out as well. The two exchanged numbers before putting their phones back in their respective places.
“Okay, cool,” Buffy said, “I'll call you.”
“I prefer texting,” Spike replied, “easier to get away with, bit more private.”
Buffy laughed, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. Only then did she notice the long sleeves that were covering her arms. “Oh, I almost forgot about your shirt.” She said as she began twisting in an effort to remove the garment from her body.
“No.” Spike whispered, reaching forward and pulling the collar snugly around her neck, “I'm gonna let you hold on to it.”
Buffy's brows furrowed in confusion as she looked up to meet his eyes again. “Why?”
The devastatingly attractive, lopsided smirk graced his lips as he reached for her hand, raising it slowly between their bodies. “Gives me an excuse to see you again, pet.” He bowed his head and lifted her encased hand to his lips, kissing it softly. “Night, luv.”
With that, he released her hand and walked back to his car. He quickly started the engine and pulled away from both the building and the stunned Buffy Summers standing just outside of it.
-----
“Explain Plato's myth of the cave.” Willow said as she bit in to the sliced red apple in her hand.
“It's about the prisoners in the cave and one gets released, and there's those shadows on the wall.” Buffy half explained, moving her hands in a circular motion as if it would bring on the rest of the information. “It's talking about the plight of the philosopher. I know this one, it's just-”
“It's hard to get out.” Willow nodded in agreement.
They had been studying for their philosophy mid-term for hours now and were getting fairly confident in the thought that they would pass. The room was trashed with books, soda cans, and random snacks that they had scattered around so they wouldn't have to leave the room, and valuable study time, for anything.
“My brain in fried,” Buffy said from her spot on the littered floor, “can we take a little break?”
Willow practically threw the book away from her. “I thought you'd never ask.”
Buffy pulled herself off of the floor and moved to lay down on her bed. “This week has been so crazy with the working, and the studying-”
“And the crushing rock star.” Willow interjected. “Why don't you just go out on that date with him?”
“I don't know, I just, don't want to?”
“Oh, come on Buffy,” Willow said moving to sit on the bed next to her, “we both know you want to. What are you so afraid of?”
“Come on, Wills, me and dating don't mix. We're just unmixy things, and if we do mix it always ends up bad.” She said.
“We're not talking about Xander and Chinese food, Buffy,” Willow said, “it's your life. You only get one.”
“Willow,” Buffy practically moaned, “please don't do this.”
“You need to hear it, Buffy. Just because things didn't work out with you and Angel doesn't mean you should just give up on guys altogether.” Willow said.
“I know, and I'm not, but with Spike it would just be destined to fail. Why sign myself up for the heartache?” Buffy asked.
“But a life without love-”
Buffy sighed. “I don't know if I even believe in love. I mean, look at my parents. They thought they loved each other and look how it turned out. They're still married, but they hardly even look at each other. They're both so miserable and they take it out on me and Dawn.”
“That doesn't happen all the time.” Willow said.
“It happens often enough.” Buffy said. “Everyone gets divorced nowadays and there are so many broken families and everything, I just don't want to set myself up for that.”
“Well,” Willow said, “if you just stay alone the rest of your life you may not get hurt, but you won't get loved either.”
“I know,” Buffy said, “and I don't want to be alone forever, but at the same time I don't want to jump in to things unless I'm absolutely certain it's going to work out. I just want someone to prove to me that it'll be worth it.”
“Buffy,” Willow said, “are you scared?”
She sighed. “I guess I am.”
Willow nodded slowly, putting a comforting arm on Buffy's shoulder. “Define anti-realism.”
-----
Before they knew it the sun was up and it was time for them to file in to class and take their test. Buffy and Willow had been up until nearly three in the morning and were both thanking God for coffee today. They were both frantically still quizzing one another as they walked in to the classroom and took their seats. At 9:05 on the dot, their professor walked in and began passing out the tests.
“Alright everyone, I trust you all studied.” He said as he made his way through the room. “This is multiple choice with one essay question.” Buffy felt the slight rumbling of her phone from her bag on the floor and quickly reached down to turn it off. “No cell phones, Miss Summers.”
Buffy looked up and saw the teacher staring directly at her. “Just turning it off now, sir.” She said, flashing him a smile. He nodded and turned back to giving out the papers.
She looked at her phone and decided to quickly read whatever text she had just received.
From: Spike
Good luck.
A small, genuine smile lit up her face as she turned the phone off and placed it back in her bag.
“You can begin.”
[Reviews - 122]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | 
Chapter or Story
Has been viewed 2531 times
- Text Size +
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | Chapter or Story - Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:
AN: A huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed! I was incredibly nervous about posting this one and when I did I was so incredibly happy about the response. I have so many incredible places I plan to take this and can't wait for you all to read them. This chapter is a bit shorter than the first one, but I really wanted to post something for you guys. Without further ado, on to chapter two! :)
Chapter End Notes:
Thoughts? Reviews please! I'm writing the next chapter now and they would really fuel my creative fire! :)