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Author's Chapter Notes:
Hello all. A couple of people were thrown by the time jump in the last chapter. We did move from November to January. I really want to follow a realistic strangers to friends to more pattern with this fic. Buffy is with someone and isn't looking to change that, so it would take a little time for the two of them to be reasonably brought together. I hope people aren't getting bored with the pace. I think these two are fun even while they are trying to stay just friends. :) Thanks for reading and commenting. This chapter is odd in that it only covers one long scene/night instead of a few shorter ones. I hope you like it.
P.S. I am still looking for a banner artist if anyone is feeling creative. :)
Friday, January 14, 2011

Judging by the crowd surrounding the two tables pushed together in a corner of The Bronze, Spike figured he was one of the last to arrive for Buffy’s party. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He’d known that Buffy’s boyfriend would be there, but seeing the tall man standing behind her with his hand on her back still stung. Spike supposed it was good that he was finally going to meet him. It was almost strange that he hadn’t met the man yet. He and Buffy had been friends for months, they hung out almost every week, and yet he’d never even seen a picture of her infamous boyfriend. Never seeing the real man in her life had made it too easy to pretend that he was the one. Spike knew he’d gotten too used to thinking of Buffy as his girl. He plastered on a grin and walked over to the tables.

He greeted Willow and Tara with friendly smiles before walking over to Buffy. “Hi there, Birthday girl.” He held out the wrapped box in his hand. “Got you a prezzie.”

Buffy laughed. “For me? You didn’t have to do that.” Everyone laughed. “I’m just kidding. You totally had to.” Her grin was blinding. “Gimmie,” she demanded playfully. Spike was surprised no one had made her wear a silly hat or tiara. It was clearly that kind of crowd.

Spike ignored the questioning glance Angel was giving him and watched Buffy unwrap the box he’d handed her. He grinned at the instant squeal she gave upon opening the box to reveal a heavy steel triangle with a red ribbon holder and a striker.

She pulled it out of the box. “I can’t believe you remembered this.” She jumped off her stool and hugged him tightly, still holding the triangle in her right hand.

He laughed and used one arm to give her a quick squeeze, ignoring his body’s instant response to her nearness. “It’s nothing, pet. I’ll even throw in a few lessons if you want.”

“I want!” She giggled as she pulled back and gave the triangle an experimental tap with the striker. She turned to look at her teaching assistant. “Satsu! Look! This is totally replacing our bell.” She turned back to Spike. “We use a bell to get the kid’s attention, but this will be way more fun.” She smiled. “Thank you so much. I love it.”

He nodded, feeling oddly chocked up as he wondered if any other girl in the world would be so pleased by such a small gift. “I’m glad, Buffy,” he said quietly.

“Oh!” Buffy’s eyes widened. “You don’t know everyone. I should do introductions. She pointed towards Willow. “You remember Willow and Tara.” She turned towards Cordy. “And Cordy…you guys met-I think-for a minute, right?”

“Sure. Nice to see you again.” He reached over and shook hands with the pretty brunette in the stylish blouse, skirt and heels.

“And you met Satsu at school. Susan and Kara are also teachers.”She waited while they exchanged polite greetings. “Oh-and here comes Xander!” She smiled at a handsome dark-haired man wearing a goofy Hawaiian shirt. “Xan-over here!” She stepped away and gave Xander a hug.

“Hey Buff. Did Jessie get ahold of you? He found out last minute that he has to work.”

Buffy frowned. “Yeah, he told me.” She gave Xander another squeeze. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.” She pointed to Spike. “Xander, this is Spike, Spike-Xander.” She watched them shake hands before stepping back to Angel. “And this is Angel, Liam really, but we call him Angel.”

Angel held out his hand and gave Spike a polite smile. “Hi. Glad you could make it.”

“Yeah, thanks. Anything for Buffy, right? She’s a good friend.”

Angel nodded. “She is. How is it you two met again?”

“Charity thing. My cousin’s wife co-run’s a shelter for teens. Buffy was at an event I was helping out at.”

“Right.” He nodded. “Good stuff.”

A waitress showed up a moment later and Spike ordered a strong drink before claiming a spot far away from Buffy’s man. He watched Buffy open a wooden jewelry box that Xander had made himself and learned that the man was a carpenter. The two chatted about Spike’s home renovation projects when most everyone else headed to the dance floor to groove to a typical mix of Lady Gaga, Ke$ha and Nicki Minaj. After a few songs, Cordelia cleared her throat loudly and looked at Spike. He laughed. “Would you like to dance, love?”

“Finally. You do realize that I am way too hot to be left waiting that long, don’t you?”

“Quite true. Sorry, pet.”

They danced for a moment to a particularly pretty song from Jack Johnson before she spoke again. “So I suppose this is the part where you drill me for information on Buffy and Angel.”

“Is it?”

“Isn’t it?”

“Why do say that?”

Cordy laughed. “Come on. You two are spending a lot of time together. She’s hot and sweet and short enough to make you feel tall. It seems obvious.”

He stared at her for a moment before shrugging. “We’re just friends.”

“Of course. She’s been dating Angel since high school.”

“Seriously?” He didn’t bother hiding his frown.

“Yup. They’ve broken up a couple of times, but they keep getting back together.”

“Right. Perfect couple and all. He probably played football.”

“Star quarterback.”

“Right.” He turned to look at the couple in question dancing. “Good for him.”

“Because you two are just friends?”

“That’s what I said, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. I just thought you might want to know that Buffy’s stopped complaining about Angel being out of town a lot lately.” Cordy shrugged. “They used to fight about it all the time, but for the last few months…it just doesn’t seem to bother her anymore.”

Spike nodded. The last few months she’d been hanging out with him a lot. Great, he was helping keep Buffy and her boyfriend on good terms by making her less bored when he was away. “Right.”

Spike was able to bow out of dancing at the end of the song by offering to buy Cordy a drink. They sat back down at the table and he watched Buffy dance with Angel. “One question: why did you buy her a date? Girl has a man. Why would you send her out with another one?”

Cordy grinned, cat-like. “Maybe I just like to make charitable donations.”

“MmmHmmm.”

Cordelia glanced out at her seemingly blissful friend and narrowed her eyes. “Maybe I just think a girl should know what her options are.”

Spike nodded. He was considering asking her another question when Satsu appeared in front of him. He wondered if he would have recognized her if he’d seen her out of context. She’d clearly been wearing her teacher clothes the last time they’d met. She wasn’t that night. Satsu was wearing a dark grey dress that was mini enough to be scandalous if she hadn’t paired it with opaque black tights and a pair of pink high-heeled ankle boots. The top half of her hair was pulled up in two messy buns, one on either side of her head. He noticed a Hello Kitty charm bracelet on her wrist and smiled. “Hey, there. How’s school been?”

Satsu groaned. “This is not a school night.” She grabbed his wrist. “Come with me. I feel like making a scene.”

He stood automatically and then tried to pull back. “Umm, pet. I—”

She pulled him to the dance floor. “Relax, handsome. You’re not my type.” She started dancing evocatively and then rose on her toes to whisper. “I like girls.”

“Oh. That’s…oh.”

Satsu giggled. “I just want to dance. So grab my ass already.”

He laughed and gripped her hips loosely. “Bossy little thing aren’t you?”

They danced for a couple of songs. Satsu entertaining him enough with her designed-to-shock dance moves that he temporarily stopped watching Buffy. He was almost surprised to find her at the table when he went back, leaving Satsu to dance with her fellow teachers and a delighted Xander.

Angel wasn’t with her.

“Having a good time, kitten?”

She smiled. “I am. Thank you for coming.”

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

“I noticed you and Satsu burning up the dance floor. She’s really something, isn’t she?”

“Yes. That she is.” He stared at her awkwardly. If Angel wasn’t there, he’d simply pull her out for a dance, but he wasn’t sure how to act now. Her lips were shiny and he knew she’d just reapplied her lip gloss. He wondered what it tasted like. Satsu had gotten close enough while they’d danced that he’d been able to smell the faint hint of cinnamon on her mouth. He liked it, but figured Buffy would choose something more traditional. Maybe hers was a fruit, like strawberry or mango. Or maybe she’d taste like vanilla. Vanilla would be boring on some girls, but Spike was certain it would taste rich and complex on Buffy’s lips. “Did you…umm…did you want to dance?”

She shook her head. “Not yet. Later.”

He nodded. What was she waiting for? “A drink, then? I could go fetch one of those girly drinks for you.”

“No, I’m—”

“Buff-you’re missing all my best moves!” Xander ran up to the table panting.

She laughed. “Oh, I’m seeing them.”

“Willow and Tara keep ditching me and Satsu is scary tonight. Come dance.”

She nodded and followed him back out to the dance floor.

Spike fell into his chair, hurt and surprised. He was considering leaving a few minutes later when the DJ chose an unusual song and Buffy appeared grinning before him.

“Now”

He arched an eyebrow as he realized what song was playing. “Your pick?”

She nodded. “Yup.” She popped her p sound flirtatiously. “Come dance with me.”

He followed her out to the dance floor as Rick Astley began to sing about knowing the game and a full commitment. “This isn’t much of a dancing tune, love.”

She shrugged. “Yeah, but now it’ll be stuck in your head for days, right?”

He laughed. “Sure will, evil bint. It sure will.” He tugged her into his arms for a dance.

They were both still laughing when they joined the crew at the tables a few minutes later. Angel didn’t say anything, but Spike could tell he’d been watching them more closely than he’d watched when Buffy had danced with Xander. The man wasn’t an idiot. Spike felt a surge of guilt over his feelings for the other man’s girl and then a touch of irritation. He hadn’t done anything wrong. If Buffy wanted to dance with him at her birthday party, then he would dance with her. Cordy soon reappeared with a birthday cake.

“Yum. Where are the candles?”

Cordy laughed. “They said no. Apparently management is a little nervous lately. There was some kind of light show fire a few weeks back. Besides, I thought maybe now was a good time for us to start leaving our ages off the cake.”

“I’m twenty-six, Cordy, not forty.”

“Exactly why you should start now.”

Buffy laughed and hugged her friend. “I love you.”

“Ditto. Now sit down and slice the cake. I haven’t eaten since lunch.”

Willow wanted to sing Happy Birthday, but was outvoted.

They were eating cake a few minutes later when the DJ announced that he had a special dedication for Buffy and played Birthday by The Beatles. Buffy gasped and grabbed Angel’s arm. “You had them play a song for me? That’s so sweet.”

Angel frowned. “I…um…I didn’t talk to him. Maybe he just saw the cake.”

“No. He said it was a dedication and he knew my name. Someone talked to him.” She grinned at her friends. “Who did it?” She watched Willow , Tara, Cordy, Xander and the girls from her school shrug and shake their heads. “Spike?”

He shrugged but grinned.

“You’re not fooling anyone.”

“This is good cake.”

Buffy laughed. “It is. Thanks to Cordy. She always goes to a real bakery instead of the grocery store.”

The group ate cake and had another round of drinks before Satsu and the other teachers wished Buffy a happy birthday and left. The rest of the group squeezed in around one table and ordered a few appetizers from the bar menu to share.

Angel was staring at Spike. “So Buffy tells me you’re a musician or something. Have you played with anyone I’d know?”

Spike chuckled. “Doubtful.”

“How do you make a living doing that?”

“You don’t. I own a shop: sell instruments, teach lessons, that sort of thing.”

“If you can’t do, teach, right?”

Buffy gasped and turned to Angel is shock. “Liam! Totally ignoring the fact that I’m a teacher-that was uncalled for. Spike is a really good musician.”

Angel shrugged. “Spike knows I’m just messing with him.”

“Angel-”

“It’s all good, pet. No worries.”

“But…” She looked back and forth at the two men.

Xander sensed the growing tension and stepped in. “Hey, I am bringing a girl next weekend.”

Everyone turned to look at him. Willow spoke first. “You’re bringing a girl to our weekend?”

He nodded. “Yup. I’m expanding our horizons just like old Mrs. Collins said we should.”

Buffy laughed and explained the joke to Spike. “When we were eight the school counselor thought Xander, Willow and I spent too much time together.”

Willow grinned. “She said we were oddly co-dependent. Whatever happened to her?”

“I’m pretty sure they realized she was too crazy to help anyone once they found out about the cats.”

“That was just a rumor.”

Xander shrugged. “Anyway. I’m bringing a girl.”

Cordy eyed him suspiciously. “An actual girl or like a blow-up doll.”

“A real live girl who likes me.”

“Well that’s something I have to see to believe. I’m cool with it,” Cordy announced with a shrug. She turned to Spike. “You should come too.”

“Ooh! You totally should.” Buffy smiled and nodded. “It’s this thing. You see Xander’s birthday is two weeks after mine so we’ve always had a thing on the weekend in between. It’s sort of evolved into this reliving our childhood deal. We watch movies we liked as kids and eat junk food and try to stay up all night.” She turned to Tara. “You need to come too. It’ll be great.”

Tara smiled shyly. “I’d love to come.”

“Great! Oh and we all wear our jammies all weekend-totally comfy.” Buffy turned back to Spike. “Do you want to come?”

He wanted to say yes. He always wanted to say yes to Buffy. He glanced towards Cordy. “Maybe. I should check my schedule.”

Cordy nodded. “How about you, Angel? Are you coming this year?”

Angel frowned. “No. I have business in Chicago next weekend.”

Buffy laughed. “You’d have just come up with an excuse to get out of it anyway.”

He grinned. “Probably. I have no idea how you all can watch the same movies again and again.”

She shrugged. “It’s fun.”

Xander nodded. “I’ve got a few new movies to add to the list of possible this weekend. I think everyone will be pleased.”

Cordy laughed. “God save us all from Xander’s movie collection. I’m going to veto Goonies, right now.”

Xander frowned. “You can’t use a veto now. Everyone knows you have to wait until official voting to use a veto.”

Buffy turned to Spike. “Willow wrote up a whole rule book when we were twelve. It’s pretty impressive.”

Willow, who had just finished her third drink, giggled. “It’s been revised twice since then. I could send you a copy.” She laughed into her hand before turning to Tara and grinning. She stared at the other girl for a minute before standing up. “Look. Tara and I are together.”

Everyone simply stared at her for a minute.

“Also, this—” She point upward. “This is our song.” She turned to Tara, who was watching her with a blush and an awed smile. “Will you come dance with me, baby?”

Tara nodded and the rest of the group watched them walk away and dance to Train’s Soul Sister.

Angel spoke first. “Am I missing something?”

“Only the same thing I’m missing.” Xander looked to Buffy. “When did Willow switch teams?”

Buffy shrugged. “I’m thinking it was pretty much when she met Tara.”

“Huh. I guess that only leaves one question.”

Buffy furrowed her brow in confusion.

Spike nodded. “Which one’s gangsta and which one’s thug?”

Everyone laughed except Angel. “What? That doesn’t even make sense.”

Buffy held her hand in front of her mouth as she tried to stop laughing. “It’s the song. It’s in the song.”

Angel nodded but didn’t look convinced.

Xander leaned towards Spike and spoke in a hushed voice. “Do you think they’ll make out in front of us next weekend? That would be…weird but also maybe…you know…hot.”

Spike shrugged. “I doubt it. They don’t seem like the type.”

“You know the type?” Xander’s eyes were wide.

“Sure.”

“You might just be my new Yoda, man. You’ve gotta come next weekend.”

Spike nodded. If Angel wasn’t going to be there, he would. “Yeah, count me in.”


Chapter End Notes:
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