Chapter 9
The following morning, a mental war was raging in Spike’s head after he woke up.
‘She’s bringing Angel to dinner tonight, and there’s no way I can sit in a car with that wanker for a few hours, round-trip. Maybe I could lie and say I’m sick or something,’ he thought before frowning. ‘And then leave Angel and Buffy alone in a car that long? No way in hell.’ He sighed and lay back on his pillows. ‘Maybe if I have someone else along with me, I won’t want to throttle that ponce. But who? It’s going to have to be a guy, because hey- she still thinks I’m gay.’ He ran through his options for a moment before stopping on one. ‘Jackpot!’
He leaned over and grabbed the phone on his bedside table, dialing it quickly.
“Hello?” a tired voice asked, sounding somewhat cranky.
“Xander, I need a favor,” Spike said, grinning. “And trust me, you’ll be financially rewarded.”
* * * * *
Buffy was sitting on the couch, reading the morning paper, finding herself distracted by several thoughts plaguing her.
‘I saw Spike naked,’ she grinned. ‘Andrew would’ve died for that opportunity. Actually, I think most people would’ve.’ She sighed. ‘But he’s off-limits.’ Her mind switched targets. ‘And then there’s Angel. He’s incredibly nice, and humble, and quite good-looking. I hope Mom will like him.’
She heard Spike’s door open and pretended not to notice as he walked towards her, running a hand through his hair.
“Good morning, luv,” he said before sitting beside her. “I…I’m bringing someone tonight.” She looked at him, surprised.
“Oh? And who’s the lucky man?” she asked, putting down the newspaper on her lap.
“Xander,” he answered, smiling at the stunned look on her face.
‘I knew it! I knew there was something going on behind the surface!’ She paused. ‘Explains why he was practically throwing himself at me last week at the construction site. He must’ve been overcompensating when he thought that I didn’t know Spike was gay. How nice of him.’
“Well, I think that’s great,” Buffy said, looking at the paper. “I mean, he seems like a great guy.”
“Yeah, he is,” Spike said, taking the paper from her, his fingers lightly brushing across her thigh as he picked it up. Both felt a tiny jolt run through them, but Buffy wrote it off instantly.
‘Just an accident. Kind of impossible to grab it without him touching me a little.’
“So, Angel’s going to meet us here around four,” she said, standing up. “Is Xander coming here, too?”
“Yep,” Spike answered. “I told him to look nice. I want your mum to approve of him.” Spike held back a laugh at the priceless expression that crossed over her features.
‘Oh God, they’re serious, aren’t they?’ she frowned. ‘I mean, I suspected them dating, but I guess I never really put too much thought into it.’ She paused and sighed. ‘Well, at least Xander seems nice. I guess it wouldn’t be too bad having him here every once in awhile.’
“I’m sure Mom will like him,” she replied, heading to the stairs leading up to her room. “I’ve got a little bit of homework to do this afternoon, so if you need me, I’ll be up here.” He nodded and watched her go upstairs, smiling as he noticed how her hips swayed.
He wished they would be alone like they were the night before, enjoying a nice dinner together and talking like old friends. But after seeing her reaction to his announcement, he changed his mind.
‘Was it just me, or did she actually seem somewhat jealous about Xander?’ he thought to himself, finally chuckling. ‘I think tonight is going to be quite interesting after all.’
* * * * *
Around four o’clock, Spike wasn’t shocked to open the door for Angel. He let him in, and both men stood silently for a moment, exchanging a stern look.
“Hi, Angel,” Buffy said, walking down the stairs. The two men looked at her in awe.
‘She looks like a bloody angel,’ Spike thought, taking in the white dress she was wearing and how her golden hair made her face look like she was glowing. ‘She’s breath-taking.’
Buffy came over to them and smiled up at Angel.
“You look nice,” she said before turning to Spike. “As do you, roomie.”
Spike couldn’t tell if he should be happy or hurt by that comment.
‘She compliments him first and calls me roomie?’ he thought. ‘Is that all I am?’
Thankfully, someone knocked on the door, and Spike sighed in relief when he opened it to see Xander, standing there in khakis and a pink collared shirt.
‘He’s definitely getting a tip for wearing pink,’ Spike smirked.
“Hey,” Spike said, motioning for him to come in. “I believe you remember Buffy, and this is her friend, Angel. Angel, this is Xander.” The look Angel gave Spike didn’t go unnoticed by both him and Buffy. The strangers shook hands as Buffy grabbed her car keys.
“So, are we all ready to go?” she asked, looking between the three men. Spike took her keys.
“Yep, let’s go.” He smiled at the frown she gave him before leading the way out to her car.
* * * * *
When they finally arrived at her childhood home, Spike wanted nothing more than to get away from Buffy’s date. They had spent the whole ride chatting in the backseat, and Spike caught his eyes looking at them in the rearview mirror at least every two minutes, making sure they were only talking. After one glance, he caught himself swerving over into the next lane and mentally chastised himself.
‘Don’t let them get to you,’ he thought. ‘They’re just talking. Besides, Buffy wouldn’t do anything stupid with him.’ He paused. ‘Would she?’
The four exited the car and went to her front door, Buffy letting them all in. Joyce and Dawn were waiting in the living room and instantly stood up to greet everyone. Buffy hugged them both before deciding to introduce the two new men with them. For a second, Joyce almost suspected that the tall brunette man beside Spike was his date, but when she saw the glare Angel sent Spike’s way, she figured she was wrong.
“Mom, this is Angel,” Buffy said, motioning to him. “And this is Xander, Spike’s date.” Xander shot Spike a look of his own before coming forward to shake Joyce’s hand and smile at Buffy’s sister.
“It’s great to meet you both,” Joyce said, smiling warmly. “I’m happy you could all make it tonight. And I’m sure you’re all pretty hungry, so shall we get to it?”
Five heads nodded, and she led them into the dining room. Spike suppressed a glare as Angel sat beside Buffy, but he figured he could at least sit across from her.
‘It’s only tonight, Spike,’ he thought to himself. ‘Things are going to change from here on out.’
* * * * *
Spike kept a close eye on Angel as Joyce began serving the food. He found himself glaring at the subtle touches and secret smiles that were being exchanged between the couple across the table.
Dawn and Buffy made small talk as they all settled in to eat, catching up with each other.
“How’ve you been, Spike?” Joyce asked a moment later with a warm smile.
“Fine, Joyce,” he responded with his own smile. “Keeping busy, you know how it is.”
“And how do you two know each other?” she asked, directing her gaze at Xander, who in turn, threw his arm around Spike’s shoulders, nearly causing the blonde to choke.
“We’ve been friends for a while,” Xander replied with a friendly grin. “We work together now, and things just have a way of…evolving.”
Joyce’s smile faded when she heard Angel scoff. She turned to face him, but he made a show of looking at the food on his plate, trying to cover it with a cough, but it didn’t go unnoticed by anyone at the table and it made Spike's hatred of him grow. So what if he wasn’t gay? That’s still no reason for Angel to act the way he was.
'How can Buffy like a guy like this? One who's obviously a homophobe,' he thought, fury coursing through his veins.
“Something wrong, mate?” Spike asked with venom in his voice as he raised an
eyebrow at the larger man.
“Did I say anything was wrong?” Angel replied, taking a sip of his drink.
Buffy nervously worried her bottom lip as she looked between the two men. She was really wanting them to get along. After all, Spike was rapidly turning into her best friend, and she wanted him to approve of anyone she could
potentially begin dating. On the other hand, that was no reason for Angel to act the way he was.
“Great soup, Mom,” Buffy said, a little too loud, trying to overcompensate for the tension that filled the room.
“Thank you, Buffy,” Joyce replied. “So Angel, what do you do?” she asked, trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, since he could be around for a while.
“I’m a student at UCSunnydale. That’s how I met Buffy.”
“And are you two…seeing each other?”
Buffy was about to shake her head ‘no’ when Angel replied. “Yes.”
Spike’s eyes shot up to Buffy’s, the pain evident in his gaze as she offered him a small smile. She was confused by the look in his eyes, but she assumed that he was worried she would start ignoring him if she got a boyfriend. She would have to reassure him later that he would always be in her life.
Spike wanted nothing more that to get up for a cigarette, but he didn’t want to insult Joyce. Actually, he wanted nothing more than to throw a punch at Angel, but he didn’t think that would be such a good idea. 'Buffy would probably hit me back before kicking me out of the apartment,' he thought, clenching his fists indiscreetly under the table.
The Summers’ women made pleasant small talk, trying to involve the men as much as possible throughout the course of the meal, but it was apparent that none of them felt like talking.
When dinner was finally over, Spike helped with the dishes, in spite of Joyce’s protesting that ‘guests don’t do dishes.’ He insisted that his mother would yell at him if he didn’t offer to help, and Joyce had to smile at that.
'See, why can't Buffy meet a guy like this?' Joyce thought. 'A man who respects his mother and the mothers of everyone else?'
Spike and Joyce were laughing as they walked into the living room, and his smile immediately faded when he saw Buffy cuddled on the couch next to Angel.
‘That’s supposed to be me,’ he thought bitterly.
Xander and Dawn were laughing about something as Joyce sat next to her youngest daughter.
“Excuse me,” Spike mumbled, grabbing his duster and walking to the back of
the house and out onto the back porch.
He sighed, lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag, trying to relax as the normally comforting nicotine flowed into his lungs. Unfortunately, tonight it offered no comfort.
“Get it together, you pillock,” he muttered to himself, biting his bottom
lip as he tried to forget all about the happy couple in the house.
“Are you okay?”
Spike turned, surprised to see Buffy behind him, rubbing her bare arms against the slight chill in the air. Spike immediately put out his cigarette before shrugging out of his duster. Buffy gave him a grateful smile as he wrapped it around her body and began running his hands up and down her arms to warm her.
“You shouldn’t be out here, Buffy,” he said softly. “You’ve got a date
inside.”
“So do you,” Buffy replied, and Spike had to swallow his laugh.
“Maybe,” he replied. “But I think my guy is more comfortable here than
yours.”
“You don’t like him very much, do you?”
“Xander?” Spike asked, knowing that she was asking about Angel.
“Spike,” Buffy replied in a warning tone.
Spike sighed, his hands stilling their movements but never leaving her
arms. “I think you could do better, luv,” he said softly.
“Spike, you don’t even know him,” Buffy protested weakly.
“I know enough,” he said with a sigh, looking toward the house before
meeting her gaze again. “I know he’s not the right guy for you.”
“Is that right? And who is?”
“The exact opposite.”
“Spike, the exact opposite kind of guy would be…well…you.”
Spike gave her a gentle smile, leaning forward to brush his lips lightly
against hers in an innocent kiss.
Buffy watched with wide eyes as he turned and walked back into the house,
her hand coming up to touch her lips.
Buffy sighed, turning to lean against the railing of the porch. “Why
couldn’t it be you?” she whispered sadly, staring into the night.
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