[Reviews - 3]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 1152 times

- Text Size +




Author's Chapter Notes:
The chapter is split into two parts.

Banners by Edgehead and xoChantelly
The next day Buffy awoke with a big smile. Before she even opened her eyes, she was greeted by the sweet fragrance of the orchids on her nightstand, reminding her instantly of all the goodness of last night.

Buffy felt better and more hopeful about her future than she'd felt in a long time. She hadn't forgotten about Glory (and the multitude of other baddies she had to deal with on a regular basis), but it was reassuring to know that at least she had a man who loved and wanted her, a man who she could depend on -- and who had proven his loyalty to not only her, but her family, over and over again. Buffy hummed 'Moonlight Serenade' and 'It Had To Be You' as she showered and dressed for the day.

Joyce and Dawn were all smiles when Buffy described her date to them. Dawn was still a bit jealous, but it was nice to see Buffy so visibly happy. As much as Dawn lamented what would never be between Spike and herself, knowing her sister was happy (and falling in love -- for real, this time) took away most of the sting.

Joyce was happy to see Buffy happy, but she did have some reservations about the new relationship. She didn't say anything negative though, not wanting to spoil Buffy's good mood.

Buffy still thought it seemed kinda crazy that it was Spike who made her so happy. After all the smackdowns, venomous gibes and insults they'd hurled at each other over the years, she would never have believed it if someone told her just a few weeks ago that she'd be falling for William the Bloody. But, here she was, walking on air, Spike was her man now -- and something about it just seemed so right, like this is how things were supposed to be.

Buffy couldn't wait for date number two tomorrow night. Thoughts of their next date didn't make her as nervous as the first one had, she knew she didn't have to worry about them possibly not getting along; she knew they'd have fun. The only thing she had to worry about was keeping her libido under control.

Buffy's buoyant mood continued when she found a package outside the front door containing cell phones for all her friends, he included one each for her mom and Dawn, too. Dawn was particularly overjoyed when she got her present; she'd been the only girl in her class who didn't own a cell phone yet. Spike had followed through on the promise about the phones, and something told Buffy he would keep all the other promises he'd made the previous night.

The little voice in the back of her mind warned her not to let herself get too happy -- something bad always happened when Buffy got swept up in happiness -- 'happy' and 'Buffy' were notoriously un-mixy. But she told the little voice to piss off, she deserved to bask in the happy for a while.

Before she left the house, Buffy’s mom asked her if she wanted Spike to come over for dinner and cake (Dawn was keen on baking him that chocolate cake, ASAP) tonight. Her mom also said she wanted to have a 'chat' with Spike about everything. That last part sounded slightly ominous to Buffy, she didn't want her mother to possibly scare Spike off again -- he'd been so skittish lately -- who knew the Big Bad could be so easily frightened away? But Joyce assured her daughter that she wasn't going to 'attack' Spike, she just wanted to have a conversation with him about his intentions toward Buffy and ask him some questions to help give her peace of mind. Buffy knew that Spike was just going to be thrilled to learn about the upcoming, unavoidable chat with her mom...

And then Buffy was off to the Magic Box, she wasn't eager to have her friends put a damper on her post-date buzz, but she had to get it over with. The sooner they understood that nothing they said or did would change her mind about Spike, the better off everyone would be.





After ten minutes into her visit to the shop, her friends were still trying to act casual, but she caught their curious, anxious glances, like they were afraid to ask how the date went -- she could tell they were afraid it went badly for her, but they were more afraid that it went well. Buffy tried to keep in mind that they loved her and only wanted what was best for her, they didn't want her to get hurt yet again. She knew they wanted her to be happy... they just didn't want her to be happy with Spike. She really hoped that they'd come around soon; she was afraid they'd continue to make Spike feel like the unwanted outsider, and then he'd finally get sick and tired of her friends' scrutiny and just give up and leave like all the men in her life did...

Buffy sat down at the table in the main room of the shop surrounded by her friends but feeling alone for the most part. She opened up a book Giles had given her on advanced martial arts techniques. Buffy wasn't really reading it; she was just thumbing through the pages and thinking about Spike while trying to hang on to her good mood. She smiled as she replayed the date in her head again.

Tara turned in her chair to face Buffy. "I think I know by the little smile on your face, but I'll ask anyway. How did your date go last night?"

Of all the Scoobies, it was Tara who brought the subject up first. Why couldn't her oldest, dearest friends offer her the same kindness? At least there was one warm, friendly face in the room. Buffy had come to value Tara, with her kind and quiet way, just as much as the others -- even more than the others right now, in fact. Well, Willow had given Buffy some strained smiles, but Buffy could tell there was a whole bunch of objections about Spike behind the red-headed witch's smiling face.

Buffy's little smile became wider as she looked at Tara, seeing that Tara really cared and was interested. "It was incredible, thanks for asking," Buffy said with a girlish grin.

Tara had noticed the faraway look in Buffy's eyes and the secret little smile on her face. Tara knew that look --- it was the look you got when you were in love (or falling in love) with someone and an image of them would pop up in your head. You'd think about the way they looked, the sound of their voice, their laugh, and it would make you smile automatically and feel warm and tingly all over. Tara got that same dreamy look and feeling when she thought about Willow. And Buffy's aura was especially vibrant today, showing excitement, tenderness, and passion. Buffy was obviously glowy and happy about her date with Spike, Tara thought it wasn't fair that she couldn't gush about it to her friends.

Tara didn't want to make waves amongst the Scoobies, she was the newest member of the group and still a bit hesitant to speak her mind, but she felt strongly about being supportive of Buffy. After all, Buffy had been nothing but nice to Tara since they'd met and quickly accepted her as Willow's significant other -- there was that one bad conversation, but that was the evil Slayer, Faith, in Buffy's body, not the real Buffy. Living in Sunnydale took a lot of getting used to...

"Wh-where did Spike take you?" Tara asked, forging past her nervousness. Buffy looked so grateful to have a friend to talk to about the date, that alone made Tara feel it was worth the risk of pissing off the others. "I wondered what Spike would consider a fun date," she laughed. "Maybe a tour of the creepiest cemeteries in town..."

"I wondered the same thing," Buffy admitted with a laugh of her own. She turned all her attention to Tara, making a point of talking only to Tara, and told her the highlights of the date: the horse drawn carriage, the fancy restaurant and delicious dinner, the dancing, how Spike spoke French, and the general awesomeness of the whole evening. Buffy kept Spike’s serenading and reciting poetry to herself for now, the others might make fun of him for it and she really liked all that stuff; she didn't want him to stop because her friends teased him about it.

"Wow, that does sound incredible!" Tara agreed, grinning. "Very romantic."

"Mmmhmm." Buffy nodded and that secret little smile touched her lips again as moments from the evening ran through her mind. "Spike did everything he could to make the night special for me. He knows how to woo a girl, that's for sure. Hey, I've officially been wooed."

"Who doesn't enjoy a good wooing? I know I do," Tara joked.

Buffy and Tara giggled together.

"Spike swept you off your feet, huh?" Tara playfully nudged Buffy with her elbow.

"Yep, a sweeping of my feet definitely occurred. I was kinda nervous because I didn't know what to expect before Spike picked me up, but it turned out to be my best date ever."

Willow was feeling left out and kind of guilty for not being Supporto Gal for her best friend. She did want to make an effort at being encouraging, but it was still hard to totally get behind the idea of Buffy dating Spike. There was the potential for so much badness. Willow was a bit afraid to cheer Buffy on because she’d been completely supportive when Buffy was with Angel, and that hadn’t worked out so well... and she'd even sort of helped Riley get in good with Buffy and had encouraged Buffy to date him and... well...

"Where'd he get the carriage?" Willow jumped into the conversation. She had to make more of an effort -- whether Buffy and Spike’s relationship turned out to be good or bad, Buffy was her best friend; she’d be there for Buffy no matter what. "I didn't know they had those in Sunnydale."

"As if you really care?" Buffy asked coolly. "How nice of you to at least pretend -- that's more than Giles, Xander, or Anya has done."

"I'm not pretending... I do care, Buffy," Willow insisted with a pout. "It's just... I think we're all just a little worried about you."

"I'm enjoying talking to Tara," Buffy said, putting a hand on Tara's arm. "It's actually pleasant to talk to Tara about it, she's the only one who actually gives a shit and doesn't have that disapproving frown." Buffy demonstrated the frowny look she'd seen on her friends' faces ever since she first told them she had feelings for Spike.

Anya talked as she set up a display case, "I wanted to ask about your date, Buffy, but Xander said I shouldn't."

"Oh?" Buffy gave Xander a brief scowl, and then looked at Anya. "And do you do everything Xander tells you?"

"No, of course I don't," Anya answered, her brows knit. "Unless we're role-playing and I'm pretending to be his sex slave, of course."

Buffy rolled her eyes and hoped this wouldn't turn into a 'TMI' conversation. She really didn't want to hear about Xander's sexual fantasies...

"But," Anya continued, "I did what he told me to do outside of a sex game because there's always a chance you'll start breaking things if you get angry -- you could cause thousands of dollars in property damage with your Slayer strength -- and I don't want my shop being smashed up."

Giles looked at Anya over the rims of his glasses. "Your shop, is it?"

Anya corrected herself, "Um, I mean I don't want Giles' shop being smashed up; I care because I'm employed here and I also take pride in it..."

Xander took another shot at making Buffy see that Spike was a bad guy. "You do realize that Spike most likely stole all the money he used to pay for your wonderful, fantastical, fairy tale date, don't you? It doesn't bother you that he used dirty money to wine and dine you?"

"I know how Spike was able to afford all the wonderfulness, he didn't steal to pay for any of it," Buffy informed him. "Spike went to a lot of trouble to make sure nothing would get in the way of me enjoying the evening, like me worrying about where he got the money to pay for everything, for instance. We talked about it and I'm satisfied with his answer; I believe him." She wanted to stick her tongue out at Xander and sing-song "na-na-na-na-naaa", but decided against it.

Buffy seemed so confident, Xander didn't have any counterargument at the moment, but he was still unconvinced. There was no way Spike got the money for that date legitimately... no way.

Buffy had the cell phones Spike acquired for her friends in her purse, she hadn't given them the gifts yet. She'd wanted to see what kind of reaction she got from the Scoobies after her first date with Spike before she gave them the phones. She'd been leaning toward not giving them the thoughtful gifts at all since they didn't even ask her how it went. Who knows how long they would've waited to say anything if Tara hadn't broached the subject.

But Buffy quickly reconsidered being spiteful about it, maybe giving them the phones would show them that Spike was trying to be a team player, make them see him in a new light like she had -- whether they deserved a gift or not. And hopefully they'd feel a little bit bad (or maybe even more than a 'little bit') when they saw that Spike was being more gracious to them than they were being to him.

Buffy put her big purse on the table and unzipped it. "Spike gave me some presents for all of you. Do you want them?"

The Scoobies were taken aback for a moment. Spike was buying them presents? He had to be really desperate to get on their good sides.

"Are the presents ticking?" Xander asked, looking suspiciously at her purse and leaning back in his chair. He wouldn't put it past Spike to blow them up so he'd have nobody standing in his way and could have Buffy all to himself. "Maybe we should submerge them in a bucket of water before trying to open them, or get one of those remote controlled robots the S.W.A.T. team uses."

Buffy rolled her eyes and took the phones out of her purse, setting them down on the tabletop. "They're not ticking, but they are prepaid. Enjoy."

Anya grinned and bounced on her heels as she chose a phone. "Ooh, I love presents! We were just talking about getting phones the night we were looking for Buffy and found Spike drunk and belligerent in the cave below his crypt. Spike was so intoxicated, I'm surprised he remembered. This was very nice of him," she said, taking her phone out of its box.

"See?" Buffy smiled, looking vindicated. "Spike's capable of doing nice things."

Xander doubted Spike did it for any reason other than to impress Buffy -- with the added bonus of possibly scoring points with her friends. But he was certain Spike didn't get them something simply because he was nice. Spike was incapable of doing something nice without an ulterior motive. Though, even Xander had to admit the phone was pretty cool...

Giles nodded favorably, thinking how much the Scoobies could benefit from having better communication. Cell phones were something they should have invested in long ago. "These should prove very useful. It was... quite considerate of Spike to get them for everyone."

Buffy looked at her mentor, wishing he'd witnessed the way Spike chose her and defended her against Drusilla. Maybe if Giles had seen with his own eyes how fiercely Spike had fought for her life, he'd be more willing to give Spike a chance. "Spike wants to make this work, Giles. He can be an important part of the team if everyone would just un-clench and give him a chance to prove himself. He's really changed, I saw how much he's changed since we first met him, and he's committed to keep changing for the better."

There were a lot of arguments Giles wanted to make to the contrary, but he settled for saying, "I pray you're right."

"I am," Buffy said with a confident nod of her head.

"One thing still doesn't make sense about you and Spike," Xander began, then paused. "Well, a lotta stuff about you and Spike doesn't make sense -- but one question in particular nags at me."

Buffy sighed, her patience was about to be tested. "Okay, I'll bite, what doesn't make sense to you, Xander?" she asked unenthusiastically.

"Spike helped you escape from Dru, so you were pretty happy with him after that, right?"

"Yeah, of course I was."

"So how come he was all drunk, depressed and suicidal when we saw him at the crypt later? The things he said sounded like you'd shot him down -- and not in a 'letting him down gently' kind of way."

Buffy had to think fast, she didn't want her friends to know about the shrine -- there was no way they'd cut Spike a sliver of slack if they knew about that. "Um," she shifted uncomfortably in her chair, "Spike and I were both exhausted, in pain, and we really needed rest... we had an argument that got blown way out of proportion. We'd had the night from hell, neither of us were able to think straight by the end."

"What was the argument about?" Xander asked curiously.

"That's... between me and Spike; it's private," Buffy said with a look that told Xander he shouldn't bother asking again, she wasn't going to share. "Anyway, it doesn't matter now, we talked everything out and made up."

"How was the sex?" Anya asked, her eyes wide with excitement. That's what she really wanted to know about their date. "I bet it was unbelievable... I mean, a vampire with that body... I'll bet he went for hours and hours! He probably knows lots of advanced techniques, too."

Xander groaned and rubbed his eyes, Tara blushed and looked down at the table, Willow looked up at the ceiling and shook her head, and Giles predictably took off his glasses and polished them on the way to his office, pretending he hadn't heard that question and praying he didn't hear anything Buffy might say in reply.

Buffy spluttered for a few moments, blushing brightly. She thought she'd be used to Anya's brazenness (and rudeness) by now, but the ex-Vengeance Demon could still render her speechless. "N-none of your business!" she stammered out.

"Hmm, that means it was bad, or there wasn't any." Anya looked up in thought, wondering which it was. "It's hard to believe Spike would be bad in bed -- he virtually oozes sex appeal and he's had a century of practice -- but it's also hard to believe that you wouldn't sex him up at the first opportunity. You could cut the sexual tension between you and Spike with a knife. Even when you two supposedly hated each other, there was that vibe -- that heavy, sexual, electric, wanna-get-naked and ride --"

"Ahn!" Xander interrupted. "Please stop," he begged with a shudder, "the last thing I want to think about is them doing the horizontal rumba."

Anya sighed, her shoulders slumping for a moment. "Fine, I'll stop. And really -- Spike and Buffy getting lusty is the last thing you want to think about, Xander? I think it'd be extremely hot, they're better looking than the actors in the porn films we watch. I guess it might be a little strange, since we know them and they're not anonymous Z-list actors, but it'd still be hot."

Buffy's eyes widened further. "God, Anya, stop saying things like that! Do you ever have a thought that doesn't immediately come flying out of your mouth without a detour through the network censors?"

"I say what's on my mind. I wish more people were like me -- honest and straightforward -- but all of you keep what you really think or want to say a secret. I don't know how it's possible," Anya said disappointedly, "but, with two lesbian witches, a kinky boy like my Xander, and Giles... who probably rocked the casbah a lot in his youth, this group is a bunch of giant, stick in the mud prudes."

Giles was doing his best not to listen, but Anya taking yet another jab at his age slipped through and made him grumble. 'I'm not that bloody old! Anya's chronologically older than me by a millennium, she's got bloody cheek to call me old! I have half a mind to take her over my knee and...' He stopped when the visual in his mind of spanking Anya became a bit more exciting than he thought it would be. 'I really need a girlfriend ... ' He shut the office door to block out any further insulting (or stimulating) comments.

Willow heaved a sigh. "Yeah, it's a shame we all can't be as enlightened as you, Anya. We could chitchat about our sex lives, and everything else that should stay special and personal between two people, all day long."

"And you're sarcastic prudes, too." Anya shook a Voodoo doll at Willow before putting it in the display case. "Now be quiet, Buffy was about to tell us more juicy details about her date."

"I'm not telling you any juicy stuff, so just forget it," Buffy said firmly and crossed her arms, hoping to put an end to that specific topic.

"I bet you'll tell Willow about all the juice," Anya groused, rearranging the Voodoo dolls into a more visually pleasing configuration that would be more likely to catch a browser's eye. "It's not right that Willow gets to hear about it and I don't -- she doesn't even like having heterosexual sex. I'll bet she doesn't even think Spike's attractive."

"Nope, I won't be sharing with Willow either, don't worry." Buffy glimpsed at Willow, who was getting pouty and feeling worse for not being there for Buffy all along.

Buffy looked at the clock on the wall with anticipation, counting down the hours until sunset when she'd see Spike again. She couldn't wait to hear his voice, his laugh, to gaze into those penetrating blue eyes that you could lose yourself in... his chiseled cheekbones and jaw... his perfect, oh-so kissable lips... His voice echoed in her mind as she recalled the romantic poems he'd recited to her throughout the night, the way his eyes had locked with hers, the rough-yet-smooth timbre of his voice as he spoke... That sexy bastard could make her damp in the panties almost effortlessly.

Buffy blinked, coming out of her little reverie. A few minutes had passed while she'd contemplated Spike's sexiness. It had been a long time since she'd actually lost minutes while daydreaming about a guy -- yep, she had it bad for the Big Bad. She mused that she was probably feeling so giddy and schoolgirly because of all the years she'd spent repressing any attraction to Spike. There was a lot of pent-up lusting behind the emotional dam Buffy had constructed, just waiting to burst forth.

Buffy discreetly checked around her to see if anyone had noticed her zoning out while she'd been thinking about Spike. The only eye she caught was Tara's who gave her a knowing smile, and then looked back down at a textbook she'd been reading. Buffy didn't mind if Tara caught her daydreaming about Spike and how he made her feel; that was another thing she liked about Tara, she was non-judgey.

Buffy sighed and looked at the clock again. She needed to see Spike, to have him wrap his arms around her and make her feel good again. The wait already felt like an eternity.





Spike found it difficult to sleep more than a few hours, he was too keyed up and happy to sleep. But when he did sleep, visions of Buffy danced in his head. In one of his dreams, Buffy had kissed him sweetly and run her fingers through his hair as they made out in the hansom cab. Another dream featured a Buffy who practically ripped his clothes off and then pounced on him like a tigress. Thinking about either dream (mild or caliente) made Spike smile.

Spike had felt like singing and dancing like Gene Kelly in 'Singing in the Rain' on his way home last night, wanting to jump up and click his heels and swing from lampposts. Last night was like a beautiful dream -- except for the bits with Dave and those tossers in the park. But even the unexpected nuisances seemed somehow appropriate in hindsight, and Buffy didn’t seem bothered by any of it.

Spike must have replayed the evening in his head a hundred times. If he hadn't already been sure that Buffy was his destiny before the date, he would be positive about it now. They just clicked. Everything about the way they interacted was so different, so much better than it used to be.

His lips still tingled from Buffy's sweet, passionate kisses, his hands still burned from touching her silky skin. There were sparks and heat between them, but there was also a comfortable, contented feeling that Spike hadn't felt since his salad days with Drusilla. An emotional bond was forming between them, the affection wasn't one-sided any longer. If just snogging with Buffy had him this worked up, he thought he might spontaneously combust when they finally shagged. But that was a risk he was very willing, ready, and able to take.

Spike's demon would always be with him, he had no illusions that it wouldn't sometimes be a struggle to do the right things day in and day out. But his demon didn't control him, not anymore. Loving Buffy had made him a changed man. And after the way she'd responded to him and the promises he'd made last night, Spike never wanted to go back to being the way he was. He knew there would be times in the future when his willpower would be tested, but he was strong enough to make it through.

The fact that he'd be the first vampire in history to choose to be good, without a soul, also appealed to him. Spike was a rebel, he thumbed his nose at convention and broke all the rules. Humans with souls could be evil, so why couldn't the opposite be true? Vamps without souls could change too -- if they wanted to, that is. And they'd have to want it bad. With Buffy's love being his ultimate reward for good behavior, Spike definitely wanted it (and her) bad.

There really had been a fundamental shift inside him that night at the mansion. Maybe Dru bringing his bad old-self back out had made him more determined not to be that man anymore. It made Spike realize how far he'd really come since he'd first arrived in Sunnydale, and he didn't want to go back. Changing his life so drastically at this stage and giving his heart to another woman was scary, no doubt about it. But Spike was ready.

Spike had spent so much time since his chipping being troubled and pondering where he belonged in the world, but that was one worry he could now put to rest. He knew he belonged with Buffy, he just had to stay the course, be strong and true, and be the man she deserved.

Buffy was his girl, she cared for him, he saw the light of love blooming in her eyes when she looked at him last night. She might not be head-over-heels in love with him yet, but that brilliant gleam in her eyes told him she would be. Spike vowed to keep proving to Buffy every day that he was worth it, she wasn't wrong to trust him with her bruised and battered heart. And hopefully she would take good care of his heart in return.

Spike attempted to watch a movie on TV to pass the time, but all he could think about was seeing Buffy again. "Bugger this!" Spike announced to his empty crypt, standing up. "I'm gonna go see my girl." He smiled as he went to gussy up a bit for Buffy.





Buffy didn't know if she could wait until sunset. She thought, 'Maybe I should go to the crypt and surprise him? But guys usually don't like it when their girlfriends just pop in... although I popped in a lot when I used to hate him too. And I'll be giving him a nice kiss instead of a punch in the face like I used to. So maybe he wouldn't mind if I showed up. But I don't want to seem too geeky and needy, he said he'd come by here, so I should probably just wait... ' It was hard to concentrate on anything else besides Spike. She wanted to see him so badly that she could practically feel his presence in the room...

"'Ello, all," Spike's voice came from the doorway that led down to the storeroom.

Buffy looked up and smiled at seeing Spike leaning casually against the doorframe, his thumbs hooked into his belt. Apparently he couldn't wait to see her either. Buffy's heartbeat sped up, the tingling became more pronounced in certain areas of her body which were generally unaffected by the presence of a vampire. Under his leather duster Spike had on a pair of black slacks instead of his usual jeans, and an electric-blue colored shirt, and he wore his platinum hair slicked back. He was looking mighty scrumptious.

"H-hi, Spike." Tara smiled and waved, trying to make him feel welcome. The others either waved or said hello too, so as not to seem rude and upset Buffy.

"What were you doing down there?" Anya asked suspiciously.

Spike shrugged. "Nothin'. I came through the sewer entrance. I reckoned it was safer than running about town with a blanket covering me. I've outgrown my whole bursting into flames phase..."

"You better not have stolen anything while you were down there..." Anya informed him tersely.

"I didn't nick anything, Anya, relax." Spike stood up straight and held his arms out, then asked with a smirk, "Wanna frisk me?"

Anya didn't respond for a moment, then started walking toward him. "Hmm, that might not be a bad idea." She could make sure he didn't steal anything and cop a feel or two while she was at it.

Buffy didn't react for a few seconds, she was taken back to the dream she'd had in which Spike invited her to frisk him. Was this a part of the dream coming true or just a coincidence? Come to think of it, the way he'd been standing in the doorway was the same pose he'd struck in her Dru-induced hallucination/fantasy. It was hard to know what meant nothing and what might be significant when it came to her dreams, she made a mental note to talk to Tara about it, since Tara had mentioned dabbling in dream interpretation once (and Tara was the only one Buffy would feel comfortable talking with about anything Spike-related).

Buffy jumped up from the table once she was able to get her mind to focus again. "Uh-uh, I don't think so." She stepped into Anya's path and held a hand up. "If Spike needs a frisking, I'm the one who'll do it."

"Don't fight over me, girls," Spike joked. "But Buffy's right, any patting down of my bod will be done by her from now on."

"Alright, but you frisk him good, Buffy. Make sure he's not hiding something." Anya was disappointed, but went back around the counter to the cash register; counting money always cheered her up. "I'd pat down his crotch area thoroughly if I were you -- you never know what he could be hiding there!"

Spike smirked. "That's just good advice." His licentious smirk changed fluidly into a boyish, almost shy smile as Buffy turned to him and made eye contact. Spike felt his insides go gooey when their eyes met. 'Yeah, there's definitely something about this woman... turns men to mush.'

They batted their eyes at each other.

"Hi," Buffy said demurely.

"Hello, cutie." Spike smiled at her from under his lashes.

"You're here early, the sun's still up," Buffy observed, glancing at the front window of the shop.

"I couldn't wait and thought why not just pop in. I had to see you again." Spike leaned forward and placed a tender kiss on her lips.

Buffy didn't care that her friends might not like seeing her kiss Spike -- she'd been waiting all day to kiss him again. Her eyes closed, sharing a brief but very sweet kiss with her man.

Spike smiled, pulling back slightly. "I've been wanting to do that again since we said goodnight."

"Me too." This is exactly what Buffy needed to give her an emotional boost again, just having Spike here with her lifted her spirits and made her feel all warm inside. She was struck again by how differently she thought of him now, and how different he made her feel, compared to the way it was just a few weeks ago.

"And these eyes..." Spike lightly cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing over her cheekbones. He gazed into her eyes, smiling softly. "I dreamt about these eyes... these twin green pools of the deepest soul I've ever known. I could get lost exploring these eyes..."

Buffy sighed and tilted her head, melting under his gaze. "Oh..."

"Oh, brother," Xander groaned. "There are other people in the room, y'know? I ate a doughnut a half hour ago and it ain't gonna stay down if I have to hear more of that syrupy crap. A jelly doughnut is less gooey!"

Spike's eyes darted to Xander, his upper lip twitched into an almost-snarl. But then he looked back at Buffy and smiled easily again, his expression softening. He gave her lips another kiss before dropping his hands back down to his sides.

"How's your dress, luv? Not beyond repair, I hope."

"Huh? Oh, the Halston -- my mom said it can be fixed -- no problem."

"Good, I was worried it was wrecked. I'd love to see you in it again. Looked so bloody gorgeous, like a movie star, you did."

"Well, given my lack of an actual income and Sunnydale's inability to attract a Sak's, I'd say chances are good you'll be seeing it again. I'd like to see you in that Armani suit again, too... looking all polished and classy. You clean up nice."

"You don't like what I got on now?" Spike asked, doing a slow turn and holding his arms out.

"Oh, I do like it," Buffy confirmed, widening her eyes as she took in his new ensemble. "And I like that you're taking my advice on all things, including fashion. Do another spin for me," Buffy said, smiling saucily.

Spike laughed and spun around again before striking a male model-like pose, puckering his lips and sucking in his cheeks.

"Mmhmm, very nice," Buffy nodded, looking him over appreciatively. "That shirt's a little tight, isn't it? Not that I'm complaining." She definitely wasn't complaining, the tight, blue shirt molded itself to Spike's muscular torso. And the blue of his shirt really brought out the dazzling deep blue color of his eyes -- funny how she'd never let herself notice just how gorgeous Spike's baby blues were in the past.

Spike shrugged, then held his coat out so Buffy could see all of the shirt. "Yeah, it is a touch too tight -- it's my Superman shirt. I'm gettin' into superhero mode."

Buffy laughed, "Yeah! All you need is a big, red S on your chest."

"Ha," Xander rolled his eyes and protested quietly, "like he could be Superman..." The comic book geek in Xander was annoyed at Spike comparing himself to the Man of Steel. "Superman would so whup his ass..."

"You gonna wear tights too?" Buffy asked Spike, raising and lowering her eyebrows. "And a cape? I'd like to see you in a stylish cape -- capes are coming back, ya know."

Spike smirked. "Maybe... you'll have to wait an' see. I've got a few other different outfits I can model for you later."

Buffy wanted to ask Spike to take off the coat so she could admire the rest of him, but didn't want to test her friends' tolerance (or Xander's gag-reflex) too much yet. As if reading her mind, Spike took his coat off and draped it over the back of a chair. Buffy liked how trim and slim Spike looked -- and there was no coat to block her view of his butt, she definitely liked that.

"Speakin' of fashion..." Spike leaned in close to Buffy and whispered in her ear, "Got those bells on, pet?" He made a show of looking her up and down. "I'm not seein' any..."

"Maybe they're just in a place you can't see right now," Buffy whispered back, being a bit naughty. She thought she probably shouldn't tease Spike like that, the waiting to get physical was already hard on... difficult for him.

Spike bit his tongue to keep from asking if she'd take him somewhere private and show him the bells. He had to give himself a mental slap in the face to stop thinking about where Buffy could hide bells on her naked body.

Spike sniffed and smiled at the others, figuring it was time to try and make nice with them, and it would help him think of something other than Buffy's body. "So... how fares the Scooby gang this fine day? Any new demons that need slaying?"

"No, just the same old ones that still need a jolly good slaying..." Xander offered, looking pointedly at Spike.

Giles came out of his office, pausing his walk to the counter when he saw Spike. He looked quickly at Buffy and tried to be affable. "Hello, Spike... How are you?”

"Hello, Rupert. I'm just grand, thanks for askin'." Spike put his arm around Buffy's waist, holding her loosely. "Matter of fact, ’ve never felt better."

"Thank you for the present, Spike!" Anya interjected, holding up her cell phone.

"Think nothing of it, luv," he said with a humble shrug and wave of his hand. "Just tryin' to do my part. It's 'bout time your gang joined the 21st century."

"Yes, that was very... thoughtful of you," Giles said begrudgingly.

The others thanked Spike for the cell phones too. Xander mumbled his thanks faintly, it still felt wrong to thank Spike for anything.

Anya looked at her phone as she talked, "Are they suitable for texting purposes?"

"Yeah, I think so. They're top of the line," Spike told her.

"I really want to try this thing I heard about called 'sexting'. I can send Xander a sexy message while he's at work and get him all revved up so he'll ravish me when he gets home. I can't wait to try it!" The others groaned, but Anya didn't seem to notice (or care about) their disapproval.

Spike's stomach rolled at the thought that, by giving them the phones, he was helping Xander 'get some'. He tried his best to push that thought from his mind. Xander had found Spike's sweet, poetic words to Buffy nauseating? If Spike had to hear any more details about Xander's sex life, he was going to be seriously, copiously ill.

Thankfully, the next words out of Anya's mouth had nothing to do with sex. "Buffy said the phones were prepaid -- I don't know why she felt it was necessary to say that. Aren't all gifts 'prepaid'... otherwise they aren't really gifts?"

"It means that the phones are paid up for six months," Spike explained. "You won't have to worry about a bill 'til then."

"Wait..." Anya's brow furrowed, "you mean I have to pay for my own gift? That violates the rules of gift-giving!"

"I'm not payin' for your bloody phone calls -- or sexting! -- for the rest of your life," Spike replied gruffly. "I was feelin' generous, but I ain't that bloody generous."

Buffy put her arm around Spike's back, giving Anya a hard look. "You can afford it, Anya. And you were thinking about getting one anyway. Spike did something nice for all of us, and it's something that might end up saving one of our lives. Show some gratitude."

"I'm sure the mobiles will be very useful to us. It was very considerate... Thank you, Spike," Giles said graciously.

Buffy smiled at Giles. It made her feel good to see that he was at least trying to be nice to Spike for her sake.

Willow wanted to show Buffy that she was trying too. "Spike, Buffy told us what happened, how you helped her escape from Dru and her goons. We were trying spells to find her that night but nothing worked. Thanks for helping Buffy when we weren’t able to."

"No need to thank me for that, Red," Spike said modestly. "Though, it is nice to hear. I wasn't going to let anything happen to Buffy. I realized just how deeply I love her that night..." He turned his head and pressed a lingering kiss to Buffy's forehead. Buffy smiled and leaned against him.

Spike was grateful that Buffy apparently did keep some things that happened that night secret from her friends, like the biting and the shrine. He didn't think the Scoobies would be giving him any slack whatsoever if they knew about those things.

Spike changed to a different, more lighthearted topic. "Now that I'm a member of your exclusive club, is there a secret handshake I should know? Do I get an official decoder ring or t-shirt?"

"You'd better not get anything -- I wasn't given any initiation presents," Anya said, and then looked at Tara. "They didn't give you anything, did they?"

Tara thought for a moment and smiled. "Well, I did get the gift of new friends and the good feeling that goes along with being accepted into a group of people who make a real difference in the world."

"But no real presents, right?" Anya asked pointedly. "I got jack squat, it wouldn't be fair if you got anything."

Tara shook her head no -- giving up on trying to get Anya to see the good in just being accepted, regardless of the lack of swag.

Xander turned to Spike. "You're not automatically a member of the Scoobies just because you're dating Buffy. But I do like the decoder ring idea..."

"Everyone else who's ever dated one of you has been brought into the fold. Why not me?" Spike wondered aloud.

Xander raised his brows. "You really want me to list all the reasons?"

"Xander..." Buffy said warningly.

Spike took a breath and forced himself to smile as he met the younger man's eyes with his own. "Well, s'pose I'll just have to prove my worth before I get the Scooby seal of approval, then. Might even save your fat arse one of these days, Harris... Might."

"Got any more psychotic ex-girlfriends waiting in the wings, Spike? Anyone we should expect to crawl out from under her rock and try to kill Buffy?" Xander asked jovially.

Spike gave Xander a look that said his patience was wearing thin. "No, 've got just the two psychotic exes. I don't see either of 'em being a problem again."

"A-are you sure Drusilla won't come back?" Tara asked. Talking to Spike still made her nervous, he was a vampire, after all. But he had helped prove Tara wasn't a demon (like her family had made her believe for so long), even though he had nothing to gain except a bad headache from it. And Spike had to be okay if Buffy thought so.

"Can't know for sure..." Spike growled quietly, angry at himself again for not taking Dru out of the picture permanently. "But I've got a feeling Dru won't be back. But if she does come back to SunnyD, she won't have time to cause trouble again. I’ll see to it that she doesn’t.”

Xander just couldn't help himself from messing with Spike some more. Maybe if Spike got angry and said or did something nasty, if he let his real colors show, Buffy might reconsider her decision to date him. "I don't blame Dru and Harmony for wanting to kill you -- 'cause hey, who hasn't wanted to kill you -- but I don't like Buffy getting caught in the middle of your twisted little lover's spats."

Spike fired back, "It's a good job none of the birds you've bedded ever wanted you back. Once they wised up, they just counted their lucky stars, wondered what the bloody hell made them want you in the first place, and moved on."

"Hey," Anya objected, walking over to Xander and resting her hands on his shoulders, "my Xander is a wonderful man who any woman would consider herself lucky to be with. He's sweet and kind and loving. And he's a Viking in the sack. And he has a fine butt. I heard what you said about his butt being fat before. That's not true, it's meaty yet firm."

Spike scrunched up his face, not wanting to think about Xander's ass for even a moment. "I'll take your word for it, Anya..."

"And, anyway," Anya continued, calming down, "most of the women Xander's dated have been demon-insects or malevolent mummies and Buffy slayed them already... Otherwise they would've wanted him back."

"Seems like they got off easy to me -- they were probably beggin' to be slain after sleeping with Harris," Spike remarked with a sneer. Arguing with Anya wasn't something Spike wanted to do, he actually liked her -- despite her abysmal taste in men. "Why don't you let Floppy Boy fight his own battles? If he wants to 'ave a go at me, he should do it on his own and not 'ave his girl jumping to his defense."

"You can't talk to her like that, Bat Boy!" Xander warned him, standing up and glaring at Spike.

"What? I'm not s'posed to respond to her when she’s talking to me? And I didn't insult her, I insulted you, you bloody git." Spike growled. "Grow a pair of bollocks and --"

"Hey!" Buffy snapped, getting their attention. They stopped and looked at her. "Cut that shit out right now. Nobody's 'having a go' at anyone and I think we have enough 'bollocks' to go around without anyone growing any more. Stop fighting, I'm getting pissed."

"Do what she says," Anya said in a worried tone. "We don't want her going berserk and smashing up my sh-- ...my good friend and employer Giles' shop."

And that put an end to the quarreling... for a while, anyway.


Continued...





You must login (register) to review.