A/N Because so many people have reviewed and e-mailed me telling me how much they love this story, I decided to combine two chapters for you today! Hope you like them and please keep reviewing!
Chapter 4
The next night, Buffy and William sat cuddling together on his couch. Buffy
had tried to talk him into coming to her place, but he had resisted. She
had only agreed to come over and watch movies when she knew that Spike
wouldn’t be there.
This delighted William since he assumed she didn’t want to see Spike
because she was angry at him. In fact, Buffy had a much different reason
for not wanting to see him, but she kept that to herself. She hadn’t even
told her friends yet since she still wasn’t used to the idea herself.
She had told her friends about the mistaken identity the other night at the
Bronze. Willow and Tara had listened sympathetically while Faith had
laughed so hard, she almost started hyperventilating.
“I should probably get going,” Buffy mumbled as she began to untangle
herself from William. Before she could comprehend what was happening, she
found herself pinned to the couch as Will began passionately kissing her.
She tried to keep up with his eager pace, but she soon found herself
struggling to breathe. Buffy didn’t know what brought on this change in
Will’s attitude, but she wasn’t sure she liked it. William pulled back
just as Buffy was about to shove him away. She didn’t know why he stopped,
but she didn’t care either as she lay on the couch, gasping for air.
She saw Will’s gaze go to the archway that led to the front door and turned
to look. It was then that she saw Spike standing there.
“Don’t let me interrupt,” Spike said with a glare. “I just forgot something
in my room,” he continued as he walked to the stairs.
Buffy looked at William as Spike disappeared. “What the hell was that?”
“A kiss, Buffy. We’ve done it before.”
“Not with you practically molesting me, we haven’t,” Buffy said angrily.
“So, it’s a crime to want to kiss my girlfriend?”
“No, of course…” Buffy trailed off as comprehension settled on her face. “You knew.”
“Knew what?”
“You knew Spike was about to walk in, didn’t you?”
“What are you going on about, Buffy?”
Buffy jumped up from the couch, walking to the door as Will followed her.
“What? Were you just trying to mark your territory?” she cried angrily,
pulling the door open. She paused as she walked out into the night air
before common sense got the best of her. Turning and slowly walking back to
William, she said, “I know what you’re thinking, but Will…I’m with you,”
she said softly. “You don’t have to prove anything to me, okay?”
“I don’t want to mess this up, Buffy,” he said quietly.
“Then don’t change your attitude towards me. Just treat me the way you
always have and stop worrying about your brother. I’m sorry I kissed him.
You have no idea how sorry I am, but it never would have happened if I’d
known about him.” Buffy stood on her tiptoes and planted a gentle kiss on
his lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“At least let me drive you home,” he said.
“Will, we go through this every time I leave. I’ll be fine. I like to
walk.”
William nodded as he watched her walk down the front path. Turning at the
end of the driveway, Buffy gave him a wave. She sighed as she got out of
his range of vision. She hadn’t lied to William- she was sorry that she’d
kissed Spike because it made her question everything she’d found
comfortable. At the same time, she wouldn’t take it back for anything in
the world.
Without another thought, Buffy grabbed her cell phone out of her pocket and
dialed Faith’s number.
“Hello!” Faith shouted over some loud music.
“Faith, where are you?”
“The Bronze!”
“I’m going to stop by. I think I need some time away from everything.”
“On a school night, Miss Summers?” Faith said in a teasing tone. “Why,
whatever would your boyfriend say?”
“Faith, give it a rest. I’ll be there in ten.”
“I’ll be here.”
* * * * *
Buffy walked into the club a few minutes later, scanning the area for her
friend.
“Hey, B!” Faith called out to her from her position, sitting on one of the
pool tables. Buffy waved and walked over to her. “Love the outfit,
Summers,” Faith said as Buffy got closer.
Looking down at her jeans and black tank top, Buffy shrugged. “I was
planning on watching movies, not going clubbing.”
Faith hopped down from her spot on the pool table and walked over to a man
playing pool. “Buffy Summers, meet Xander Harris.”
Buffy shook Xander’s hand, smiling at him.
“Buffy Summers? Yeah, I’ve heard about you,” he said.
“Good things, I hope,” Buffy said, shooting a glance at Faith.
Faith shrugged, looking at Xander. “No, it wasn’t from Faith.”
“Who then?”
“Him,” Xander said, gesturing to the door as he went back to sink a ball.
Buffy turned around and groaned when she saw Spike walking towards her. She
saw him falter slightly when he made eye contact with her, but he kept
walking.
“Summers,” he said with a slight nod in her direction. “Sorry I’m late,
Harris. The brother felt the need to start an argument before I left.”
Buffy frowned but ignored it. “You two know each other?” Buffy asked,
looking from Xander to Spike.
“Since high school,” Spike said, never looking at her as he lit a cigarette.
“Rack ‘em, Harris.”
Faith grabbed Buffy’s arm and pulled her closer to the bar, sitting down on
one of the stools. “So, what’s with the big emergency?”
“No emergency. I just wanted to get out for a night, you know how it is.”
Faith nodded but looked at Buffy skeptically. “So, what do you think of
Xander?”
“Seems like a nice enough guy,” Buffy said with a shrug. “Don’t tell me
it’s serious?”
“Not yet,” Faith said, looking slightly nervous.
“You’re kidding!” Buffy said excitedly. “Faith Wilkins is thinking about a
monogamous relationship?”
“Keep it down, B. It’s not public knowledge yet.”
“Well, I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks,” Faith said quietly.
“So you know Spike?” Buffy asked, trying to seem nonchalant about it.
“We met last night. Xander introduced us.” Buffy nodded as Faith looked at
her in sudden understanding. “Oh my God! You have the hots for him,” she
said quietly.
“Faith, of course I don’t! I have Will.”
“Just because you have a man, doesn’t mean you can’t lust after another.
Especially one that you shared a wicked kiss with the other night,” Faith
said with a devilish smile.
Buffy looked at the bar surface and sighed. “Promise you won’t tell
anyone?”
“Cross my heart,” Faith said seriously.
“I-I’ve been having these feelings,” Buffy said quietly. “And they started
because of that kiss.”
“You want Spike,” Faith replied calmly.
Buffy sighed again and nodded. “Sometimes. But then other times, I just
want it to be the way it was between me and William.”
“The way it was? What’s going on?”
“He’s just…Will’s just getting more possessive, which I can totally
understand why…but he’s just acting so funny. His attitude is changing,
his actions are changing.”
“Like what?”
“Like tonight…I think he knew Spike was about to walk in, and he practically
threw me down on the couch and started kissing me.”
“Kinky,” Faith said with a smile. “And you didn’t like it?”
“It just wasn’t like him.”
“But if a blonder version of him had done that, you wouldn’t be
complaining?”
Buffy didn’t say anything for a moment as she stared at the bar. “I just
care about William so much,” she whispered.
Faith rubbed Buffy’s back, letting go of her false bravado for a minute as
she comforted her friend. “You can’t help how you feel, Buff.”
“But I can help what I do.”
“Yeah…but do you want to?”
Buffy seemed to think about it for a minute before looking at Faith. “I
can’t hurt him, Faith. I can’t risk getting rid of someone who loves me
for what could only turn out to be a fling. Am I just being selfish?”
Faith looked at Buffy sadly. “Not for me to say, B.”
Buffy turned around and saw Spike watching her. She felt the unfamiliar
tingling go up her spine before he looked away.
“Maybe you should talk to him,” Faith said quietly. “What if he doesn’t
want a fling?”
Buffy watched as a girl approached Spike, leaning forward to whisper
something in his ear. He shot Buffy a look before snaking an arm around
her waist and leading her to the dance floor.
Faith caught Buffy’s despondent look and threw an arm around her shoulders.
“You want to go somewhere else?”
“No,” Buffy said, shaking her head. “I think I’m just gonna head home.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah,” Buffy said, offering her friend a small smile. She passed by the
pool table on her way to the door. “It was nice to meet you, Xander.”
“You too, Buffster. Don’t be a stranger, okay?” he said with a friendly
smile as Buffy nodded.
“Bye, Faith. Thanks for listening.”
“No problem, Buff.”
Buffy headed to the door of the Bronze, pausing with one hand on the door
and the other holding the frame. Turning, she let herself look once more at
Spike before walking out of the club.
Chapter 5
Spike wandered over to join his friend when the song ended. Subtly looking
around the interior of the club, trying to see where Buffy was, he heard
Faith’s voice next to him.
“She’s not here.”
Turning around, he gave her a quizzical look. “Where’d she go?” he asked,
trying to act as if he didn’t care.
“She decided to walk home. Didn’t feel like hangin’ around,” Faith said
with a smile. She was able to see right through this man. The tough guy
exterior was just a façade. Inside, she knew he was probably similar to his
brother; therefore, still good enough for her friend.
Faith liked William, she really did, but she didn’t think he fit with Buffy.
He needed someone a little more outgoing to really draw him out of his
shell. Since Buffy needed the same thing, Spike seemed to be the perfect
man for the job.
“You know,” Faith said as she swigged on her beer bottle. “She lives kinda
far away. I mean, it’s practically on the other side of town. Sure isn’t
safe walking home at this time of night,” Faith said with a shake of her
head. She had to suppress a smile as Spike looked at the door. “She’s
probably only a block away right now,” she continued with an innocent
expression.
“Well, I was thinkin’ about takin’ off anyway. I s’pose I could see if she
needs a lift.”
“Yeah, you should do that,” Faith agreed with a nod.
Spike said his good-byes and bolted for the door.
“You’re evil,” Xander said with a smile as he came up to stand next to
Faith.
“I am, aren’t I?” Faith said with a smile. “Got the job done though, didn’t
I?”
“Only one little problem,” Xander said, looking over at her. “What about
Will? He’s been my friend for as long as Spike, and if this pans out the way
you’re hoping, he’s going to end up hurt.”
“We’ll see.”
* * * * *
Buffy heard a motorcycle approaching but decided to ignore it. She felt
her heart begin to beat more rapidly when she heard it slowing down.
Turning around, Buffy saw Spike get off the bike and walk toward her.
“What are you doing?”
“Came to offer you a ride, pet.”
“You followed me?”
“No, of course not. I just…I, uh,…I was leaving, and Faith mentioned you
were walking so I...bloody hell, do you want a lift or not?”
Buffy had to smile at his exasperated tone of voice. “It does sound better
than walking for an hour.”
“Hop on,” Spike said, walking over to the motorcycle and flipping a leg over
the side.
Buffy followed and took the spot behind him, hesitating before she wrapped
her arms around his waist. Spike smiled as he restarted the bike before
pulling away from the curb.
Buffy gave him directions to her place, and they were there before she knew
it. When the bike came to a stop several minutes later, Buffy slowly removed her arms from his
lean torso and smiled when he dismounted to offer her a hand.
“What a gentleman.”
Spike scoffed at her description, but she could see the smile playing on his
lips.
“So…would you want to come up? For hot chocolate or something, not…”
Spike smiled as he watched the blush rise in her cheeks. Tilting her eyes up
to his, he nodded. “That would be nice, luv.”
A few minutes later, they were sitting in the kitchen of her apartment,
asking questions about each other. Spike was doing most of the asking
since Buffy knew a lot of Spike’s family history through William. It seems
the only thing he left out about his family was the fact that he had a
twin.
“There’s not a third one out there of you, is there?”
Spike laughed at the question. “Why? Would that be too much for you, pet?”
Buffy blushed but smiled at the comment. “I just wouldn’t want to make the
same mix-up that I made when I met you.”
Spike had to smile since she said ‘mix-up’ instead of ‘mistake.’
“There’s only Will and me, Summers. What about you?”
“My family?” Buffy asked as she poured the mugs of hot chocolate, throwing a
handful of marshmallows into each. “Pretty short story. My dad left us
about seven years ago. He lives in L.A., and we never see him. Mom moved to
Sunnydale with my sister and me.”
Buffy handed him the steaming mug as she finished her story. “You have a
sister?”
“No ideas, buddy! She’s still in high school,” Buffy said, pointing a
finger at him.
Spike laughed and held up his hands in surrender. “Furthest thing from my
mind, pet. I promise.”
“Good,” Buffy said with a smile. “Anyway, yeah, I have a sister. She and
mom live a few miles away. I decided to move out at the first of the year,
what with pretending to be a grown-up and all.”
“Pretending?”
“You know what I mean.”
“Alright, onto more grown-up topics then. Sexual history?”
Buffy looked at him for a moment. “You first,” she said in a challenging
voice.
“Too many to count, luv.” At Buffy’s look, he continued, “I’m kidding. One
in high school- we broke up when she went to college. Two in college that
never really amounted to anything. One serious relationship for several
years, but ultimately, nothing you’d wanna build a future on. And when we
broke up over a year ago, there’s been a few one-night stands.”
Buffy sat listening, hating herself for feeling jealous of these women and
berating herself for thinking about Spike in a sexual context when she was
dating his brother.
“Your turn, luv.”
“Not much to tell,” Buffy said with a shrug as she got up to take her mug to
the sink. “There was a guy when I was in high school. He was…older, and
we…well, I thought we made love.”
“You didn’t?”
“From my point of view,” Buffy said with a shrug. “He obviously didn’t feel
the same way. The morning after experience wasn’t the best,” she said with
a sad smile. “I went off to college over a year later and met a guy. You
know what they say…history repeats.”
Spike felt anger go through him at the way she had been used by men in the
past. In some ways, he was glad that she was with his brother. At least
Spike knew Will wouldn’t do the same thing. “Is that it then?”
“Um…another guy in college. Nice Iowa farm boy. We had it good for about
a year, but he decided to see what else was out there. That was about two
years ago.”
“And then Will,” Spike said softly, watching as Buffy bit her lip and turned
away from him. Spike stood up and walked over to lean against the sink.
“Do you love him?”
“He loves me,” Buffy said quietly.
“And when that’s not enough…what happens?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered softly.
“What about me?” Spike murmured in her ear, enjoying the shiver that went
down her spine. He was surprised when Buffy whirled around to face him.
“What is this to you?” Buffy asked, gesturing between the two of them. “Is
this just some bizarre competition? You swoop into town, spook your brother
and make him act all strange, and try and get me all confused?”
“I didn’t come here to steal his girl, if that’s what you’re asking me, Buffy.”
“Then why are you here?”
“I needed a place to stay-“
“No! Here!” she cried, gesturing around her kitchen.
“Because I can’t get you out of my soddin’ mind!”
Buffy froze at the admission.
“Bloody hell,” Spike muttered as he looked at the floor. “What did you
mean, he’s acting all strange?” he asked, trying to change the subject.
“Spike-“
“Buffy, I don’t want to hear another word about it, alright? There’s
nothing to discuss, just tell me what you meant about Will changing.”
Buffy swallowed hard, trying to forget what he’d said. “You haven’t
noticed?”
“The clothes, the hair, yeah, but nothing out of the ordinary about how he’s
acting.”
“So walking in on us tonight, you didn’t think it was a little weird?”
“For my brother to be making out with a girl on the couch, yeah. Except
you’re his girlfriend, pet.”
“Spike, he’s never acted like that before.”
“Like what?”
“Forceful.”
“Are you saying he was going to-“
“NO!” Buffy said quickly, vigorously shaking her head. “No, he’d never do
that, but it was unnerving for him to be acting so…”
Spike looked at her for a minute before responding. “Do you want me to talk
to him?”
“No,” Buffy said. “I don’t want to be responsible for a fight between you
two.”
“Too late,” he muttered.
“What?”
“Nothing, pet,” he said quickly.
Buffy watched him for a minute before taking a step closer to him. “Spike,
what happened?”
“We just got into a fight, Buffy, it was nothing. It’s what brothers do.”
“Was it about me?”
“That’s not important?”
“Was it?”
“Yes,” he admitted quietly.
“Did you hit him?” she asked softly.
“He hit me first, luv.”
“Spike-“
“Buffy, he’s fine! He’s probably just got a nice shiner now, is all. Don’t
worry that pretty little head about it.”
“I was going to ask about you.”
Spike looked at her in surprise before nodding. “I’ll be fine.”
Her eyes traveled the length of his body as she stepped forward, gingerly
rubbing her hand over his stomach. Spike hissed in pain as he backed away
from her.
“You’re not fine.”
“I’m fine.”
“Let me see,” Buffy said, gently tugging at his shirt.
“Buffy-“
“Spike-“
Spike gently took her hand in his. “I’ll be okay.”
Buffy felt her breathing pick up as she realized what close proximity she
was in. Spike seemed to notice at the same time and slowly took a step away
from her.
“I should probably go.”
“That might be a good idea,” she said softly.
Spike gritted his teeth, trying to fight the urge to kiss her, as she stared
up at him. Exhaling deeply, Spike turned and headed for the door. “I’ll
see you later, luv.”
Buffy felt herself begin to shake as she heard the door close quietly
behind him. Running both hands through her hair, Buffy closed her eyes and
exhaled, tilting her head up to the ceiling.
“Get it together, Buffy.”
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