Buffy and Spike walked arm in arm back through the alleyway.
"I had such a great time, Spike. The food and the dancing and the conversation all exceeded my expectations. I think that was the longest we've gone without arguing, too -- you're just full of surprises."
"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, pet. It was everything I'd hoped it would be... I originally wanted there to be more after the dinner and dancing, though," Spike admitted with regret. "I wanted to take you to the theater to see a play or musical, but the only thing playing tonight is the Sunnydale Community Theater's production of 'A Streetcar Named Desire' starring the head of the local PTA as Blanche DuBois."
Buffy laughed. "Unfortunately, Sunnydale isn't known for its vibrant cultural and arts scene. Actually, I hear the elementary school puts on a mean 'Winnie the Pooh', though," she told him with a grin. "But I really couldn't have asked for more, I've had a wonderful time," Buffy assured him sincerely.
Spike was so relieved, he'd had himself tied up in knots worrying about something going wrong during their date. "You know... I was so bloody nervous that something would go wrong, or you'd hate the whole thing."
"I'd have to be crazy to hate any of it." She leaned her head on his shoulder for a moment. "Aww, you were really nervous?"
He snorted and nodded. "I felt like a spotty teenage git out with the most beautiful and popular girl in school. Tonight meant so much to me, it had to go well."
"You were nervous for nothing," Buffy said, giving Spike's arm a squeeze. "Everything was perfect, not one bad thing happened the whole night."
"How would you feel about a ride 'round the park in the carriage before I escort you home, Miss Summers?"
"I'd love to." A cozy, relaxing carriage ride did sound like a lovely way to end their evening.
As they approached where the alley ended and the sidewalk began, they were happy to see the front end of Rusty the horse; the hansom cab was waiting for them at the curb just as Clem had promised.
"Whoa-ho... I know you guys," their new driver remarked from the elevated seat.
They both found that distinctive stoner chuckle familiar, and thought, 'No, it can't be *him*... They slowly looked up at the driver, staring at him for a moment -- not quite believing their eyes. It was one of Drusilla's minions, Dave, dressed in a dark suit and top hat with his human face on and his hair pulled back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck.
"Bloody hell... it's Spicoli! I knew I shouldn't've let that tosser get away!" Spike growled.
Dave tipped his top hat. "Aloha! Clem said to pick his friend Spike and his date up here. I didn't know you were, like, the same Spike. Small world, huh?"
Buffy crossed her arms. "Know a lot of Spikes, do ya?"
"Yeah, I know at least four dudes called Spike, and my cousin's bulldog's name is Spike."
"Clem sent you?" Spike asked incredulously. "You work for Clem?"
"Correct-a-mundo," Dave replied with a self-satisfied grin.
"I don't fucking believe this..." Spike clenched his fists, giving Dave a lethal look. "Get down from there so I can kick your sodding ass!"
"Dude, chill. You're gonna upset Rusty. Horses pick up on people's emotions."
The horse neighed and shook its head as if it understood and agreed with the stoner.
Buffy put a hand on Spike's back, rubbing soothingly. "I don't get it... why would Clem hire a vampire to drive the cab? Didn't he consider the fact that vamps are more likely to eat the passengers than drive them around?"
Dave was worried he might not live to receive his paycheck (so he could buy an ounce of some gnarlatious doobage that just came in). "The boss-man has rules, he's real strict about them, too. He gives us incentives to be cool with humans -- totally no snacking on the job! Clem's awesome, he doesn't discriminate 'cause of color, or religion, or... undeadness."
"And the vamp Clem hired just had to be one of the bloody minions that tried to kill us. What the bloody hell is he thinking!?" Spike angrily ran a hand back through his hair, knocking some platinum curls loose from the styling gel holding them in place. His dream of the perfect, incident-free date with Buffy was going up in smoke; this was turning into a nightmare.
"Hey, I didn't try to shred you guys at the mansion," Dave objected. "Don't be uncool."
Spike grit his teeth. "I recall fighting you along with the rest of those pillocks. And it was you who forced my eyes open so Dru could hypnotize me into killing Buffy!"
"Yeah," Buffy glared up at Dave. "And you helped that asshole Joshua torment me. You laughed at me and cheered." She was going to add that she'd also heard Dave cheering specifically when Spike bit her, but she was able to stop herself before she brought that up. She didn't want to make Spike feel more guilty than he already did over that.
"I didn't, like, hit you or anything, Slayer."
"And that's the only reason we're still talking and you're not already a pile of dust. But you did laugh at me and enjoy the fact that I was being tortured and humiliated," Buffy pointed out.
"Uh... that was just, like... really intense peer pressure. I thought what was goin' on was totally bogus, but I had to just go along with it, y'know?"
Spike went a little ways back into the alley. He'd noticed a wooden crate on the ground when they'd passed through a minute ago, which he now stomped on and broke into a dozen pieces. Then he picked up one of the sharp pieces of wood and tossed it to Buffy.
"You dust him," Spike pointed angrily at Dave, "while I call Clem and give that flabby, albino bastard a bloody good piece of my mind! I'm gonna rip his hearts out when I get my hands on 'im!" Spike whipped his cell phone out and started dialing as he walked a short distance away.
"Aw, dude! That's so bogus! Can't you just give me a chance?" Dave called pleadingly.
Buffy got a good grip on the makeshift stake and eyed Dave.
Dave gulped, wondering if he could make the horse go fast enough to escape the angry Slayer... he doubted it. "C'mon, Slayer... You don't have to stake me, I'm not doin' anything bad."
"You're a vampire -- you don't have to do be doing anything else for me to have an excuse to stake you."
"That's, like, so not fair!" Dave complained, reminding Buffy of Harmony. "Totally bogus and prejudiced, just like when clerks follow me around stores just 'cos of how I look. That's like... profiling -- totally UNcool! And you're on a date with Spike, and he's a vampire -- a really bad-ass vampire who's done a lot worse stuff than me. He's, like, legendarily evil. You look smokin' hot in that dress, by the way."
She smiled at the compliment, looking down at her dress, then fidgeted and frowned. "Yeah, I'm dating Spike, but he's different than the rest of you. He's trying to change his ways."
"Bingo! That's totally what I'm tryin' to do too! I promise, I won't kill people, I'm sticking to animal blood." He held up his right hand and gave the Boy Scout salute. He was actually giving the gesture to 'rock on', but thought it was the same as the Boy Scout salute.
Buffy paused, taking into consideration the fact that she was giving Spike a chance to prove his determination to be a better man. She wasn't going to give every vampire she met the benefit of the doubt; that kind of behavior would result in a quick death for her. But maybe Dave deserved a chance to be a better person too... albeit a perpetually stoned one.
"Why are you working for Clem? What's in it for you?" Buffy asked Dave as she tried to sort out her new role as not only executioner but judge, as well.
"Moola. I need mucho bucks to support myself in the lifestyle to which I've become accustomed."
She narrowed her eyes. "Isn't it common practice for vamps to take money off their victims' bodies?"
"That's what I'm trying to tell you, dudette! I don't have victims. I don't like hunting, it's like a total buzz-kill. If I could be, like, king of the vampires and have my food brought to me, that'd be awesome... I'd have lots of hot honeys in nuthin' but huaraches fanning me with those big-ass feather fans... and I'd have a giant hookah to toke on, too."
"So you have no interest in killing humans?" Buffy asked skeptically, crossing her arms over her chest, the stake still in her right hand.
"It's too much of a hassle, y'know? I can satisfy my bloodlust by watching Ultimate Fighting on pay-per-view and cold chillin' with a tall glass of pig's blood in my hand."
"So that's the answer," Buffy said, shaking her head. "If only all vampires could be lazy potheads, my job would be a lot easier and the world would be a safer place."
"Totally," Dave agreed, nodding enthusiastically.
"Why would Clem hire a stoner?"
"I don't partake of any righteous bud while I'm working."
Buffy thought, 'This is him *sober*? He probably doesn't even need to smoke any more pot, it's part of his DNA by now. God, I hope he didn't procreate before he was turned!'
"You can drive a hansom cab? I mean... well?" she asked doubtfully.
"Totally! Well, the horse does all the driving, I just chillax up here and tell him where to go. But I've got, like, a simpatico with horses -- I used to work at my uncle's dude ranch every summer when I was a kid. It sucked to be away from the beach and the tasty waves and beach bunnies, but working with the horses was rad. And I got, like, a skill I can use now... that's pretty wild, huh? I'm really gonna try hard to be good at this gig."
Spike growled as he walked back to Buffy. "Clem ain't answering. I left him an irate message asking why he sent a bloody vampire with a drug problem to pick us up." He glowered at Dave. "Why is he still in solid form? Why haven't you staked him yet?" Spike asked impatiently.
"Well... I was thinking that maybe we should give him a chance."
Spike blinked and stared at her. "Come again?"
"Dave says he doesn't plan on killing people."
"...And you... what? Just believe him?"
Buffy shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. All those years of 'partaking in the righteous bud' have completely fried his brain, I'm not sure he has enough gray matter left up there to actually figure out how to lie, so I do kinda believe him. Plus, I think he's just too lazy -- he'd rather just get stoned and fry a few more brain cells than actually hunt. Hey, I'm on a date with the former 'William the Bloody', so maybe giving him a chance to be good or bad is the right thing to do."
"You're not actually comparing him to me?" Spike lifted an eyebrow. "You think he deserves the same amount of consideration that I do?"
"I'm not saying that." Buffy shook her head. "I trust you with everything, Spike. But after hearing what Dave has to say, I think we can trust him to do a good job and not try to kill us, or any other couple he takes for a moonlight drive."
"I don't get paid if I try to kill you, dude," Dave informed Spike. "No moola, no doobage! That's what's called 'incentive'."
Spike snarled at him. "And I'll rip you limb from bloody limb if you even think about tryin' something."
Dave agreed. "Uh, yeah... that's a really good incentive too."
Spike looked Buffy in the eye and asked, "You're sure about this?"
Buffy nodded. "You trust Clem, right?"
Spike rolled his eyes. "I did trust the stupid sod before tonight."
"You don't trust anyone easily, or at all, so that tells me Clem is trustworthy. I really don't think he would've done anything to screw up our date on purpose. And he didn't know the guy he sent was one of Dru's minions. Let's see how well Dave does, and then decide if Clem deserves to be yelled at."
"I'm gonna do a whole bloody lot more than yell at him..." Spike said under his breath. He still wasn't happy about this at all, but he reminded himself again that tonight was about making Buffy happy. If she wanted to be bighearted and give a drug addict vampire a chance... then that was what they'd do.
Spike sighed and looked up at Dave. "You're loyal to Clem? You're determined to give it your all... not that 'your all' is very impressive."
"Yeah, man, totally! I was freaked out when I first met Clem 'cause it kinda looks like he's melting -- I thought I was trippin' balls. But he's an awesome dude once you get past the melting thing. I don't wanna fuck this gig up. I get moola and bennies working for the Clem-meister -- us vamps need our dental coverage. I totally got this."
"You'd better mind your task, boy," Spike warned in his most intimidating voice. "You do your bloody job and drive, and don't speak to us unless it's absolutely necessary. Think you can handle taking us 'round the park once or twice?"
Dave tipped his hat. "No problemo, boss."
Spike offered Buffy his hand as she climbed into the carriage and he followed her up. When they were settled comfortably in the seat, Dave started Rusty toward the park. Buffy put the stake on the floor of the cab, hoping Dave wouldn't give her a reason to use it. A few minutes passed without anything bad happening, Dave did seem to be able to handle the task.
Spike sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I'm sorry about all this, Buffy. I wanted everything to be perfect..."
Buffy held his hand. "It's not like the one little problem we ran into ruined everything. I'm still happy, and I still had a great time."
Spike smiled slightly. "Yeah?"
"Yeah. It'd be weird if nothing weird happened. This is Sunnydale, after all."
"It was very generous of you to not dust Stonehenge," Spike gestured at Dave, "on the spot. I s'pose you're not gonna be that charitable with other vamps?"
"Definitely not," Buffy said, shaking her head. "I stake first, ask questions later 99% of the time. Other vampires have no desire to change or better themselves. You're an exception -- you're motivated to change by love," she smiled and caressed his hand, "which is a big driving force in your life. And Dave is motivated... well, not to change, but to at least behave himself, by his love of weed, which is a big, if not the biggest, driving force in his life."
Spike leaned in and kissed her on the lips. "Smart, beautiful, kindhearted, levelheaded... and built like a brick shithouse. You're the total package, pet. You may not have noticed, but I have a tendency to fly off the handle... leap before I look."
Buffy gasped and put a hand to her chest, feigning shock. "Not you! That's just not true!"
Spike smirked. "You're bloody funny too, forgot to mention that quality. As I was saying, I'm a bit hotheaded, but you aren't. You can stop and think things through without shouting or hurling breakable objects against walls. We complement each other. I'll try to follow your example and keep my temper in check as best I can."
Buffy smiled and leaned her head to the side, resting it on Spike's shoulder.
They silently enjoyed the ride for a few minutes.
There was something on Buffy's mind that she wasn't sure she should talk to Spike about. She didn't want to bring things down, but she needed to know.
"Can I ask you something?" Buffy asked hesitantly.
"Mmhmm... anything, luv."
"It's a serious question... What would you have done if Dru had killed me before you got to the mansion?"
Spike sat up straight and looked at her with a furrowed brow. "What would I have done? I would've been devastated... Why would you ask me something so bloody awful?" Spike had thought about that scenario, but it was simply too horrible for him to contemplate for long.
Buffy tried soothing him by rubbing his arm and shoulder. "I'm sorry... I know it's not a pleasant thing to think about, for either of us, but it was on my mind. Don't be upset."
"Don't be upset?" Spike asked in disbelief. He dipped his head and rubbed at the back of his neck. "Buffy, I can't imagine anything worse than losing you..." But she wouldn't have asked the question if it wasn't important for her to know, she deserved an answer.
Spike took a breath and finally said, "I don't know what I would've done if I'd found you dead in the mansion instead of half-conscious. Think I might've just... snapped and tried taking out Dru and as many of her minions as I could before they could kill me."
Buffy held his hand and squeezed it. "What would you do if I died tomorrow? Am I the only thing making you want to be a better man, or would you keep trying even if I wasn't around?" It was flattering to have a man love her so much that he would go against his very nature to try and be a better person, but it was also troubling to think that, without her around, Spike would revert back to his old, evil ways.
Spike looked at her again, exasperated and getting worried. "Why are you asking me these things, Buffy? Is there something goin' on that I should know about? Are you planning a showdown with Glory?"
"There's nothing going on that you don't already know about. A showdown with Glory is inevitable, but hopefully that won't be for a while... I just want to know what you'd do if I died. Would you leave Sunnydale?"
Spike took her right hand in both of his, looking down at her hand and lightly caressing it. He said softly, "I'd want to leave..." He didn't say that he'd really want to just end it all, he didn't know how he could go on without her. "I'd want to get far away from this bloody town and the daily reminders that you're not here anymore.
"But... I couldn't just cut and run. With you... gone, there'd be a void, not just inside me and the other people who love you... but in this town, in this world. I could never hope to fill it... but I'd try. The best way I could honor you and your faith in me would be to take up some of the slack and look after the people you love. I'd feel so..." He shook his head and closed his eyes against the thought of losing her. After a moment, Spike looked up and met her eyes with his; his voice thick with emotion, he asked, "Can we please stop talking 'bout this?"
A tear ran down Buffy's cheek. She put her hands on the sides of his face and kissed him soundly. Spike wrapped his arms around her, kissing her passionately as well as a bit possessively. He didn't want to ponder what life would be like without Buffy. Her death would've destroyed him before they'd gotten close, but to lose her now... there wasn't a word invented that could describe the kind of agony and grief he would experience.
Buffy had to eventually break the kiss to get some oxygen into her lungs. She pressed her forehead against his, keeping her hands on his face and ghosting her fingertips along his sharp cheekbones. "You don't know how much what you said means to me..." her voice cracked. "Those are the things I worry about if something happened to me. That's why I had to ask you. I go to bed every night wondering what my family and friends would do if I was gone. Who would keep them safe..."
Spike placed a few more tender kisses to her lips and cheeks. "You don't have to worry about that anymore, pet. I promise you, I'll look after them." As much as it tore him up to even think of going on without her, he meant what he said. He'd protect her loved ones (even Xander) because that's what Buffy would want. Spike had no doubt he'd feel completely empty inside without Buffy, but he'd go through the motions and soldier on, for her. And Spike did... care about the Scoobies a little -- some of them more than others. As pitiful as it was, besides Clem, Buffy's friends were the closest things Spike had to friends of his own; he had grown a bit fond of those annoying sods in spite of everything.
Buffy sat back and took a tissue out of her purse to wipe her eyes. "I'm sorry... I brought our date to a screeching halt by asking those things..." Buffy pouted and groaned, "God, what's wrong with me? Yeah, great first date conversation, Buffy..." she said sarcastically.
Spike put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her gently against him. Buffy leaned against his side, cuddling with him. "It's alright, pet. I understand why you had to ask..." Spike knew the question of what would happen to the people she loved if she died had to give Buffy sleepless nights. "You've got the weight of the world on these narrow, smooth, beautiful shoulders," he said, rubbing her shoulder. "I'll do anything I, a lowly, soulless vampire, can do to ease your burden... anything."
Buffy sniffled and dabbed at fresh tears. She was trying not to get all boohoo-y, but what Spike was saying touched her heart -- no one had ever made a promise to her like that before, not even Angel. And knowing Spike meant it did make her feel lighter -- some of that enormous, crushing weight was lifted off of her.
Spike quickly wiped away a tear of his own. He kissed the top of her head and inhaled the scent of Buffy's hair. He couldn't stop her from doing her sacred duty, he couldn't just lock her away in a box for safekeeping, and he couldn't start treating her like a fragile porcelain doll -- but Spike would do everything in his power to make sure Buffy stayed alive and well. "That's enough gloom an' doom for tonight, yeah?"
Buffy nodded. She hoped Spike wouldn't follow her questions up with a similar question. Buffy didn't want to think about Spike being gone, either. She didn't know what she'd do if he got dusted (or if he just left her, like all the others had) tomorrow.
Buffy's heart swelled with... what? Love? No, not exactly, but her affection for the man at her side was growing deeper with every moment she spent with him, and it made her feel like making out some more, or a lot more. Even if they wouldn't be having actual sex tonight, there had to be more intense kissage and feeling up. She giggled and bit her lip, thinking of Dawn's Freudian slip; poor Dawn would never get to do it, but there was nothing preventing Buffy from feeling Spike up. She moved to sit sideways on Spike's lap and put her arms around his neck.
Spike brought his arms up around her. Some extra closeness was just what he needed right now. He cast a quick glance at Dave to make sure the stoner vamp wasn't trying to get a free show. He looked back at Buffy and smiled. "Feelin' frisky, eh?"
"I wanted to get in good kissing position. You don't mind, do you?" Buffy asked, smirking and batting her eyelashes.
Spike answered her by capturing her lips in a kiss and holding her tighter.
They went on kissing, long and deep, as the hansom cab made a circuit around the park. Dave was tempted to peek, but he kept his eyes on the road; he didn't want to give the Slayer or Master Vampire any excuse to stake him. He concentrated (his few remaining functional brain cells) on driving and ran the song 'Holy Diver' through his head to avoid the impulse to listen in on Spike and the Slayer's private convo.
Spike and Buffy pulled back from the kiss when they heard what sounded like a man and a woman yelling for help.
"Stop the cab!" Buffy ordered as she slid off Spike's lap.
"Bloody hell..." Spike muttered. First, they got Dru's stoned minion as their driver, and now they had to stop making out because someone was in trouble. Spike had hoped there wouldn't be any battles with demons during the date... but, as Buffy pointed out, it was Sunnydale, after all.
Buffy retrieved the stake from the floor of the carriage and slipped her high heels off as Dave brought the cab to an abrupt stop.
"D-did I do something wrong?" Dave asked nervously, afraid to look back at his passengers.
"Don't you hear those people yelling?" Buffy asked, jumping down to the ground. The man and woman's screams for help still rang out.
Dave listened for a moment, pausing the song in his head. "Oh, yeah... I hear it now."
Buffy took a few strides away from the carriage before rushing back and throwing her Pashmina onto the seat. "My mom would kill me if that got dirty. Come on, Spike!"
Spike sighed and jumped down from the carriage. He turned to Dave and pointed to the ground. "You stay right here and wait for us; don't move. Got it?"
Dave saluted. "Got it, boss. I'll listen to some tunes 'til you come back," he said, getting his walkman out of his pocket.
Spike ran to catch up with Buffy.
It took Buffy about thirty seconds to find the source of the yelling, the park was echo-y and it was harder to pinpoint where the voices were coming from at first. She was relieved to see the two humans were still alive by the time she finally got there.
A man and woman in their late teens or early twenties were being menaced by three well-muscled male vampires. The vamps seemed to be amused for the time being with just pushing their victims back and forth between them and making scary growling noises.
"Vampires on steroids... just what we need," Buffy moaned. "You guys couldn't take one damn night off, huh?" Buffy asked the vampires as Spike caught up to her and stopped beside her.
"It's the Slayer!" one of the vamps hissed. He looked her over quickly. "And she looks hot!"
Buffy smiled. "Thanks. I was on a date, which you idiots interrupted. So I'm afraid I'm gonna have to dust you now. You two," she looked at the frightened couple, "get out of here. Where are you from, Mayberry? What the hell were you thinking, walking through the park late at night in this town?"
The couple took the opportunity to run now that the vampires had switched their attention to Spike and Buffy.
"Sometimes I think they almost deserve to get eaten," Spike said, shaking his head. "They could qualify for a Darwin Award."
"Spike," Buffy frowned and elbowed him, "that's not a nice thing to say."
"I said they 'almost' deserve to get eaten, luv. But just think -- they're gonna reproduce, and you'll have to save their idiot children who don't have the bloody sense not to go for a late night stroll years from now."
"Are we gonna do this or what?" the vampire who'd complimented Buffy asked testily, holding out his arms.
"Oh, I'm sorry, are we keeping you from an important appointment?" Buffy asked sarcastically. "I thought you wouldn't mind an extra minute or two of being un-dusty. Yeah, okay, let's get it over with."
All three vamps went for Buffy, ignoring Spike. Another thing Spike couldn't tolerate, along with being controlled, was being ignored. And those who did ignore him usually paid a price for it.
Spike grabbed one of the vamps and began beating on him, leaving Buffy one less to deal with. Spike took his frustration and anger out on the unfortunate vampire, growling as he punched. "All I wanted was one bloody night of trouble-free romance with m' girl. But you bloody tossers couldn't let me have that, could you?!" Spike ended the sentence with a hard punch that sent the vamp spinning away and then falling to the ground.
The vampire groaned, then looked up at Spike and snickered. "Nice suit, pretty boy!" he spat, throwing a clump of dirt at Spike.
"Eh!" Spike jumped back, but too late to avoid getting hit with the dirt. He looked down at his now dirty suit jacket. "Son of a bitch! This is Ar-bloody-mani!" He went into game face and snarled as he jumped on top of his opponent.
Buffy staked one of her vampires. As she was turning to take the other one on, he kicked the stake out of her hand and punched her in the jaw.
"Ow!" Buffy's brows knit and she shook out her hand. "You made me get a splinter, you jerk!" She wished she had one of her polished stakes to wield instead of a rough piece of a broken crate. The next time she and Spike went on a date (and there definitely would be a next time), she would make sure to conceal a good stake somewhere on her body or bring a purse big enough to stash it in.
The vampire laughed and then swept her legs out from under her.
Buffy landed on her side on the ground, and she thought she'd heard a ripping sound -- it'd be just her luck if a stupid fledgling messed up her best dress. "Dammit! This is a new dress! It's a Halston, you cretin! Dry clean only! Do you have any idea how much dry cleaning costs?" She glared up at the vampire who was advancing on her again. "You are SO dead! Even more so than you already are, I mean."
The vamp tried leaping on top of Buffy. She kicked out, striking him in the chest and sending him flying backwards.
Buffy jumped to her feet in one fluid movement. "Where's that damn stake?" she asked, doing a quick search around her.
The stake had landed near Spike after it was knocked out of Buffy's hand. He made good use of it by finishing off the vamp he was fighting. "Catch, luv," he called, throwing the stake to her.
Buffy caught it easily and staked the last vampire as he was charging at her. She shook the dust from her dress, noticing a stain and a small rip on the side. "Crap. This is why I can't have nice things."
"Are you hurt?" Spike asked with concern, walking quickly over to her.
"No, but my dress is. Wish I could bring the vamps back to life just so I could dust them again." She looked up at Spike, doing a quick visual inspection to see if he'd been injured. "Are you okay?"
Spike nodded, wiping at a bit of blood at the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. He was much more pissed off about his fancy suit being smudged. "Wasn't what I'd call an epic battle. Sorry 'bout your dress..."
Buffy shrugged. "It's not too bad, really. The dry cleaner can get the dirt out, and I can sew the little rip on the side... well, my mom will probably sew it for me if I ask... I'm not too good at sewing." She noticed the dirty spot on his jacket. "Looks like you got a little dirty, too."
Getting this kind of 'dirty' wasn't what Spike had envisioned for tonight. "Let's get back to the cab... I'll take you home," Spike said with a sigh and a frown. "That tosser better still be there waiting for us."
Buffy walked next to him as they made their way back to the hansom cab, linking arms with him and wanting to see him smile again. It was funny how Spike looking sad and mopey used to make her happy, but now it just made her want to do whatever it took to cheer him up. "You usually revel in a victory, even one less than epic like this one. So why aren't you at least a little revel-y?"
"What's to revel in? Our date is ruined, along with our fancy duds," Spike lamented.
"Oh, stop it." Buffy leaned her head against his shoulder for a moment and hugged his arm. "Nothing is ruined. So we had a small detour on the way home, no biggie."
"Fighting those idiots wasn't part of the plan for tonight."
"Well... since when have your plans worked out the way you wanted?" Buffy asked with a small smile.
Spike snorted. "Yeah, I really shoulda known better. But... it was important for tonight to go according to plan."
"There are just some things we can't control, no matter how much we wish we could -- I've learned that the hard way. For example, my birthdays, or any celebrations held in my honor, are infamous for going all kinds of wrong. You put way too much pressure on yourself about tonight, Spike."
He half-shrugged, knowing that was true enough. "I wanted to give you one night where you could step outside your abby-normal life and have a good time. One bloody night without vampires -- besides me, of course -- and demons and fights to the death."
"You're coming dangerously close to brooding territory again," Buffy joked.
Spike looked at her askance with a little twist to his lips. He didn't want to smile, but damn if seeing Buffy smiling at him didn't make his lips involuntarily twitch. "Careful, luv. Warned you 'bout that."
"Just wanted to point it out before you went into full brood." Then Buffy stopped walking and turned him to face her. She took his lapels between her thumbs and forefingers, holding onto him loosely.
"Spike, the only thing I regret is that we had to stop what we were doing before we heard those people calling for help. I don't know about you, but I think dusting a few vamps was a great way to cap off our evening. And I really liked the feeling of fighting with you, as a team. It just felt so... good, didn't it?"
Spike couldn't help but smile back at her. "Well, yeah... I did like that bit," he admitted with a boyish grin. "You really aren't upset about the things that went wrong tonight?"
Buffy shook her head. "Nope. And nothing actually 'went wrong'. I had fun staking those vamps with you. Would I have liked one night away from slaying? Sure I would. But I'm the Slayer, I don't get nights off. I didn't mind having to do my duty because I got to fight alongside you for the first time since we became a couple."
"You're right -- it was our first time -- first time's always special, yeah?" Spike smirked and put his arms around her. "I didn't get to watch you fight much, though." He nuzzled her ear, and said in rumbly voice, "I love watching you fight, pet."
Buffy closed her eyes and shivered, affected by the nuzzling and the timbre of his voice. "Never fear, I'm sure there will be many, many opportunities in the future for you to watch me kick some demon ass." She was pretty sure it wasn't his cell phone she felt pressing against her this time.
They were back in the carriage and on their way to Buffy's house.
Buffy stuck the tip of her finger in her mouth. When Spike gave her a questioning look, she mumbled, "Splinter."
"Want me to take a look?" Spike asked.
She took her index finger out of her mouth and showed it to him. "I think the splinter's out, it just stings a little. Why is it that such little cuts can hurt so much?"
Spike held her hand as he examined her finger. He smirked and cocked an eyebrow. "Want Dr. Spike to suck on it?"
Buffy giggled. "What? My finger?"
"Somethin' else you want me to suck on? I'm open to suggestions..." He waggled his eyebrows.
A few parts of her she'd like him to suck on popped reflexively into Buffy's mind and she felt tinglies race over her skin from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. She gave him a look, smiling slyly. "Cut that out."
"Just kidding, luv. Honestly, I'm not trying to pressure you about... you know."
"I don't feel pressured by you, it's okay." Buffy felt more pressured by herself and her own desire for him than she felt pressured by Spike. She reminded herself again that waiting (for at least a few dates) would make their first time even better and more meaningful. "I know you're a very naughty person, and I know you let more than one opportunity to make some kind of sexual remark slide by tonight. Your head might explode if you tried holding back every comment, and it wouldn't be you if you didn't say some naughty things."
Spike held her hand to his mouth and lightly licked her fingertip. "So... want me to apply my healing saliva to your poor, wounded finger?"
She bit her lip and nodded as the tingling on her skin turned into goose bumps, making her shiver slightly, despite the warm night.
Spike slid his lips around her finger and drew it slowly into his mouth. There was only a tiny trace of her blood from the splinter, but that small amount was enough to make Spike moan and his eyelids flutter.
He was immediately taken back to the moment when he'd bitten her at the mansion -- that incident still filled him with regret and shame, especially since part of him had enjoyed it. Although he was only getting a miniscule amount of her blood compared to what he'd tasted at the mansion, this was a million times better. Buffy was voluntarily letting him have a taste this time. She was demonstrating how much she trusted him, how much she cared for him. The Buffy that existed a week ago wouldn't have considered putting her finger in his mouth for a millisecond... well, not without it being part of a knuckle sandwich, anyway, and it went without saying that she would've been repulsed if she knew it gave him any kind of pleasure. But now she was smiling at him with a sweet blush on her cheeks and her racing heart echoed in his ears like sweet music.
Spike wound his tongue around her digit, gently rubbing and sucking on it. Buffy thought it was kind of weird at first, but it didn't take long for the sensuality of what he was doing to affect her. It wasn't just the feel of his tongue on her finger, it was the way he looked at her as he did it, with his ocean blue eyes burning with desire. Her body was heating up, her panties were getting wet.
Buffy unconsciously licked her lips, and even got a bit naughty by slowly sliding her finger in and out of his mouth. She pulled back just a bit, enough to create some suction, then let him suck her finger back in. Spike smiled around her finger and winked at Buffy as he savored tasting her and the fact that she was letting him taste her.
Spike thought, 'Now if she'll just let me taste the *other* thing I'm dyin' for a sip of...' That was on his Wish List, but he strived to keep his mind on the here and now. There would come a time for tasting the other thing, he was becoming more and more certain of it with every second that passed.
The longer it went on, the more flushed Buffy's face became, the faster her heart raced, and the more she throbbed with want for him. She put her free hand over her eyes and giggled, trying to hide her hot, blushing face, as Spike continued sucking on, flicking and stroking her finger with his tongue. She had to work on not feeling embarrassed or silly with Spike. It still seemed like one of her crazy (hot) dreams in some ways -- the same guy whom she'd wanted to get rid of so badly just a week ago was now sucking on her finger and making her squirm with horniness. Part of Buffy's mind was still shell-shocked, thinking, 'Omigod, my finger is in *Spike's* mouth! *Spike* is sucking on my finger! And I *like* it!'
Spike was getting very aroused too, he thought it was best if he stopped now. He drew back until her finger popped out of his mouth. After kissing the pad of her finger, he used a handkerchief to dry it off, and then released her hand. "There, all better. You will let me know if I do something too weird for you, won't you? I don't want to 'gross you out'."
Buffy forgot for a second what the original purpose of putting her finger in his mouth was... 'Oh right, the boo-boo from the splinter!'
Buffy flexed her finger. "It does feel better, thanks. And it wasn't too weird -- it was strange having my finger in someone else's mouth, but it felt... nice too." Buffy didn't want to admit out loud that it was getting her hot, though Spike was obviously in on the secret.
"You never engaged in finger sucking before? Not even just for fun?" he asked.
Buffy giggled again and shook her head no. "You, um, want me to sit on your lap again and we can kiss a little more before we get to my house?"
Spike wanted to automatically say 'yes' any time Buffy wanted to sit on his lap, but that wasn't such a good idea at the moment. She might think he wasn't sincere about his 'no pressuring for sex' promise if his hard-on was poking at her ass.
"Uh... maybe you should stay there, but yes to the snogging." Spike put his arm around her shoulders and moved in to kiss her.
"Why can't I sit on your lap? You don't want me to?" Buffy asked, disappointed. She'd thought it was a rhetorical question -- of course he'd want her to sit on his lap.
Spike looked down and cleared his throat. "Well... I do want you to... but I had a certain reaction to licking your finger..." He looked back up at her, eyebrow arched.
Buffy smiled shyly, her eyes darting to and then away from his groin. "I do remember how much you seemed to enjoy licking me before... Maybe we shouldn't kiss any more tonight, then -- I don't want to be a co... a that kind of tease." She looked down at her own lap, her face hot again with a renewed blush.
Spike laughed, thinking she was so bloody adorable -- she couldn't even say the word 'cock'. "Uh-uh, I'm gonna take every chance I get to sup upon your sweet lips." With Buffy staying in her seat (and off of his pointy lap), Spike put two fingers under her chin and gently turned her face to his, kissing her again.
A few minutes later, the hansom cab stopped in front of Buffy's house.
"Uh, we've, like, arrived at Chez Slayer," Dave announced, though he was worried about interrupting them while they were making out.
Spike and Buffy sighed, both thinking it was a shame the night had to end. They gave each other a few feathery-soft kisses, and then reluctantly parted. Spike hopped down from the carriage and hurried around to help Buffy out, he wanted to give her the gentlemanly treatment up to the last second of the date.
Once they were both standing on the sidewalk, Spike told Dave, "Your services are no longer required, boy. You can go."
"You're not gonna dust me?" Dave hadn't been sure if Spike was just waiting for them to reach their last stop before he staked him.
"Don't tempt me." Spike gave him a resentful look, then rolled his eyes. "Well, someone's got to drive the bloody cab back to the stable, and I'm not doin' it. I probably should dust you, but I'll give you a pass. You can thank the Slayer for that."
"Thanks, Slayer!" Dave gave Buffy a thumbs up. "You're an awesome chick... I don't care what anybody says!"
"You're welcome. But I will personally hunt you down and stake you if I find out you've been feeding on people," Buffy warned.
Dave shook his head vigorously. "No! No way, I won't! I'm totally off humans, they're too much trouble." Dave squinted at them. "Y'know, you guys make a really hot couple. And it's even hotter 'cos of the whole 'verboten love' thing. You'd have, like, beautiful super-babies."
Spike rolled his eyes and knocked on the side of the carriage. "Alright, that's enough suckin' up. Go."
"Are you gonna give Clem a good report about me? You're his bud, he was like totally spazzin' about you havin' a smooth ride." Dave didn't want to get dusted, but he also didn't want to get fired. He needed this gig.
Spike regarded Dave for a few moments, and then sighed tiredly (and with a bit of disappointment that he wouldn't be staking Dave or getting him fired). "Yeah... I s'pose you've done a decent job."
"Coolio! Y'know, it's, like, customary to tip the driver when he drops you off at..." Dave trailed off, seeing the flinty-eyed, dangerous look Spike was giving him. He quickly added, "But this was totally on the house! Cowabunga, dudes!" Dave got Rusty moving quickly, just in case Spike or Buffy changed their minds. He would've liked a tip, but he figured not getting dusted probably made up for the lack of tippage.
Spike and Buffy held hands as they started walking the path to her door. Her mother had left the porch light on. Buffy hoped her mom wouldn't be turning it on and off this time.
"Lucky for Spicoli, he did do a decent job," Spike observed.
"Yep, it's a miracle, but it seems like he still has a few working brain cells. So don't yell at Clem about him sending Dave to pick us up, it worked out fine. And I don't want you thinking for even a second that the whole date was ruined because one or two little unexpected things came up."
"It didn't all go according to plan... but it was still brilliant," Spike admitted, smiling.
As they mounted the porch steps, Buffy began, "I have a confession..."
Spike looked at her sideways, wondering if he had done something wrong, after all. "That can't be good..."
"It's nothing bad," Buffy assured him. "You said you were nervous before our date, well, I was too. I wasn't as worried about things going wrong as I was worried we'd find out we couldn't stand being around each other for long periods of time just doing something 'normal'. I was afraid we'd have nothing to talk about and we'd have just too many differences. I was afraid the only thing we had in common was the whole 'mortal enemy' thing. I really wanted it to go well, so I was afraid it was going to be bad just because it meant so much to me."
"There is a 'but' coming, isn't there?" Spike asked with a nervous chuckle.
"But," Buffy laughed, "I shouldn't have worried. I loved everything about tonight and every little touch you added to make it special. Thank you for giving me the best, most romantic date I've ever had. I can't imagine a better evening than the one we just spent together."
Spike grinned, but then stopped walking abruptly just as they were getting to the front door, the smile looking frozen on his face. "Bloody hell... I think I may've made a mistake..."
Buffy frowned. "Mistake? Tonight was incredible... wasn't it?"
"It was incredible... but I set the bar too bloody high! Why didn't I think of that before?" Spike asked himself, running a hand back through his hair and loosening a few more curls. "I was so determined to make our first date perfect for you... I can't possibly top it! I've called in all the best favors people owed me... What am I gonna do for an encore now?" he groaned, putting his hand over his eyes.
Buffy smiled and pulled his hand away from his face, then kissed his cheek. "Spike, you know me better than that by now, don't you? I meant what I said before about me liking anywhere we go or anything we do, as long as we're together. Fancy stuff is fun once in a while, but I'm not a high-maintenance gal."
At Spike's skeptical look and cocked eyebrow, she chuckled and gave his shoulder a push. "Don't give me that look, I'm not high-maintenance."
Spike thought Buffy would be ready to say goodnight, but he was happily surprised when she took his hand and led him over to the porch swing. They sat down on the swing, keeping their hands joined and looking out on the dark, quiet neighborhood. Buffy wanted to make their time together last a little longer. She took his left arm and draped over her shoulders as she leaned contentedly against his side. Spike smiled and held her close.
"You must've forgotten," Buffy said, breaking the silence, "but we've already got a second date lined up to go to the Java Cafe two days from now. A pleasant evening of poetry, maybe followed by a romantic patrol through a cemetery. That can't cost too much."
"Ah, right, the poetry reading. Lookin' forward to that." Spike had forgotten about their plans, the unexpected things that happened since they'd left the restaurant had preoccupied him. "But I believe I said I'd wait to officially ask you out again until this date was over."
"That's right, you did say that. Well?" Buffy asked expectantly. "You gonna officially ask me or what?"
He smirked and looked at her. "May I call on you again, Miss Summers?"
"Hmm... well, I'll have to check my calendar," Buffy started with an evil glint in her eye. At Spike's frown, she laughed lightly but then changed to a sincere tone. "Well, it appears I'm free for the next... forever... so yes, you may." Buffy smiled and kissed him softly. "You'd better call on me again, or I'll come looking for you. Don't forget, I know where you live."
Spike smiled again and shook his head slightly... no, she's not high-maintenance at all.
After another kiss, they settled back into the porch swing again. Spike gently ran his left hand up and down the side of Buffy's arm, and she marveled how even that light touch excited her. She leaned against him, putting her hand on his chest. She could feel his hard muscles under the dress shirt, and thought of how she couldn't wait to see his body all healed and flawless...
The urge to have sex with Spike tonight wasn't easy to dismiss. She told herself, 'Stupid libido, stop with the horniness! I can't sleep with him after *one* date -- I'm not a ho. I want to put down a solid foundation for our relationship. Solid... solid like Spike's granite pecs and chiseled tummy...' Buffy licked her lips and moved her hand slowly around on his chest, discreetly feeling him up.
Spike raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Buffy was getting a little touchy-feely... which was perfectly okay with him. If she decided to change the game plan and shag tonight, he'd be perfectly okay with that too. He had a hunch that Buffy was just being affectionate, it wasn't foreplay. As much as he craved to be with her, the idea of waiting so they could build a real relationship did have a certain appeal.
Spike held in a sigh and thought, 'God, I'm turning into quite the poof. I shouldn't've been so hard on Peaches... something about this woman turns us manly men into puddles of goo...'
Buffy let her hand rest on the center of his chest, deciding she should stop feeling him up before the urge to do more, or move her hand lower, got too strong. She cleared her throat and said, "I learned some good things about you tonight: you like poetry, you speak French, you can dance and sing, you can be a gentleman, and you can be very charming."
"I learned some good things about you, too, pet. You're so bloody adorable when you're relaxed and having fun, I never got to see that side of you..." Spike kissed the tip of her nose. "Well, I have seen that side of you -- just from afar. But it's a beautiful thing to see up close. I'm not on the outside looking in anymore... can't quite believe my luck." Spike swallowed a lump of emotion, not wanting to get too emotional. It wouldn't do to look like a wuss again in front of his woman.
Buffy cuddled with him, basking in the good feelings and contentment she felt at this moment. She knew it would be like a bomb going off when they finally did give in to their passion. She wanted their first time to be romantic, and she was already mentally preparing things for that day (buying something special to wear for him, some candles for mood-lighting, and making a CD of songs like 'You Really Got A Hold On Me' to play and set a romantic atmosphere). She knew it wouldn't be long before she was ready and everything felt right enough for them to take the next step.
"Us being a couple is going to be interesting," Spike pointed out.
"I have no doubt."
"I'd be lying if I said I was never gonna piss you off and make you want to bash my head in, or punch me in the face, or..." Spike squinted. "I forgot where I was goin' with this..."
Buffy chuckled. "I hope there was a 'but' coming."
"Ah, right." Spike smiled and sat up, turning to the side to look at her. "I'm not gonna be perfect, but I'll stay with you through thick an' thin, in good times and bad. You can count on me to be at your side, to be here for you. I'll never stop loving and wanting you, Buffy. That's a promise."
Spike thought for a moment, then gently cupped her cheek in his hand, staring lovingly into her eyes. He quoted:
"Her gesture, motion, and her smiles,
Her wit, her voice my heart beguiles,
Beguiles my heart, I know not why,
And yet, I'll love her till I die."
Buffy sighed happily, melting just a little bit more while gazing into his dazzling blue eyes. "Nice. Was that one of your poems?"
Spike smirked. "Uh... if you liked it, then yes, it was one of mine. If you didn't like it, a bloke named Thomas Ford wrote it."
Buffy laughed and gave her head a slight shake. She took Spike's face in her hands and kissed him tenderly, still feeling a bit lightheaded and tingly from Spike's sweet words and poem. It was scary to think that she might have never known the love and devotion this man had for her. She hadn't let herself really see Spike before the incident with Drusilla. But maybe events had to unfold the way they had for both Spike and herself to get to this place, where they could both be sure of what they wanted and see each other for who they really were, to see below the 'mortal enemy' veneer and into each other's hearts.
Reluctantly, Buffy stood up. "I guess we should say goodnight. I don't want to still be sitting here when the sun comes up. I like my boyfriends non-dusty."
Spike stood and followed her to the front door. He couldn't resist putting his arms around her and kissing her again on the doorstep.
"You're... okay with the date ending like this?" Buffy asked, then bit her lip. She knew he was probably hoping for naked fun, despite their relationshippy talk.
Spike took a breath and nodded, giving her a smile. "Yeah, I'm okay with it, pet. Still the best night of my life."
"Thanks for being patient, Spike. That means a lot to me."
"I'll wait as patiently as I can for the day..." He paused and leaned in closer to her, closing his eyes for a moment while he breathed in her delicious scent. Spike opened his eyes again, looking into hers, his voice a deep purr. "The day you allow me to work your body into fits of ecstasy and passion... and total, screaming abandon."
Buffy's eyes hooded, she found it a bit hard to catch her breath, even she could hear her heartbeat reverberating in her ears. "Yeah. That sounds... uhh..." Buffy cleared her throat as she tried to get her brain to function again. "... really good." She thought, 'Ohhh... I have *no* doubt he can do that to me. I want him so bad... Give me strength, God.'
Hearing a sound coming from inside the house broke their mutual trance, they looked at the door. It didn't appear they were being spied on, but it reminded them that they could be being observed. They kissed one more time before separating.
Spike was reluctant to let go of her hands, keeping hold of them as he slowly stepped backwards towards the porch steps. "Goodnight, Buffy."
"Goodnight, Spike," she replied, just as reluctant to let go of his hands.
"I'll call you." He smiled and turned, going down the steps.
Buffy waited until he was at the end of the walk, then opened the door and went inside. She leaned her back against the door, letting out a contented sigh and smiling like a giddy schoolgirl. Her cell phone rang in her handbag, startling her. The ringtone was a tune she didn't recognize -- if she'd spent more time with Spike, she'd know it was 'I Wanna Be Sedated' by the Ramones.
"My first phone call. Who has my number? Telemarketers already?" She took the phone out of her purse and answered. "Hello?"
"Just makin' sure it works," Spike said on the other end.
Buffy giggled as she looked out the window and waved to Spike who was standing on the sidewalk near the oak tree in the front yard. "I thought I had to charge the phone before it worked? Don't you have to activate them too?"
"I charged and activated it ahead of time just so I could call you like this and you'd think I was adorable. Did it work?"
"Mmhmm. You're so adorable, I just wanna pinch your sweet cheeks." She giggled again. "And I know something naughty is going through your mind right now." She wagged a finger at him.
"I assure you, my thoughts are perfectly clean and decent."
Buffy could hear the smirk in voice. "Uh-huh, sure they are."
"I'll drop by the Magic Box after sunset tomorrow," Spike promised.
It worried Buffy a bit that tomorrow would be the first time her friends talked to Spike since she officially started dating him. But she tried not to get too nervous about it, she'd make the best of whatever happened. She knew one thing for sure: she was not giving Spike up, no matter how difficult her friends made it for her. "Alright, I'll be there, waiting with bells on."
"Wearing just the bells?" he asked, smirking. "In that case, I'll get their much earlier."
"Stop that," Buffy scolded him with a laugh. "You're... What's the word? Incorrigible."
"Mmm, that I am. Goodnight again, pet. Sweet dreams."
"Goodnight again, Spike. See you tomorrow."
They hung up, both sighing dreamily.
There is a Lady Sweet and Kind
There is a lady sweet and kind,
Was never a face so pleased my mind;
I did but see her passing by,
And yet, I'll love her till I die.
Her gesture, motion, and her smiles,
Her wit, her voice my heart beguiles,
Beguiles my heart, I know not why,
And yet, I'll love her till I die.
Cupid is winged and he doth range,
Her country, so, my love doth change:
But change she earth, or change she sky,
Yet, I will love her till I die.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Spike and Buffy's first date continues. There's more fluffy Spuffyness ahead :) But will Spike's plan to give Buffy a perfect, romantic first date go off without a hitch?
Thanks to Passion4Spike for being her awesome self :D
Banners by Edgehead and xoChantelly
Thanks to Passion4Spike for being her awesome self :D
Banners by Edgehead and xoChantelly
Chapter End Notes:
* The poem 'There is a Lady Sweet and Kind' is by Thomas Ford
* Additional dialogue by Harris/Lloyd
* Additional dialogue by Harris/Lloyd