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Chapter 11 – Platonic Love


Slowly opening her eyes, Buffy took a moment to remember where she was. When she noticed the cool body next to her, she felt her heart begin to flutter as she remembered the kiss that she and Spike had shared the night before. Slowly rolling over to face him, she smiled as she watched him sleep- only slightly disturbed by the lack of breathing or heartbeat. Feeling a thrill rush through her when she realized his hand was splayed across her abdomen, she nearly shivered at the simple gesture.

‘He could be awake right now and you’d never know it,’ she thought to herself.

Her fingers itched to reach out and gently stroke against the sharp angles of his cheekbones, but she bit her lip, keeping her hands where they were. She knew that if he felt anything even resembling an intimate touch, he would be out of the bed and up the ladder before she could blink. The conversation they’d had the night before was still fresh in her mind.

“Spike, just get in the bed,” Buffy said in exasperation.

“I’m not sharing that bed with you, Goldilocks,” he replied, walking over to the ladder and looking back in surprise when she grabbed the back of his shirt and jerked him back down to the ground.

“If I’m such a kid, then what are you afraid of?”

Spike sighed, clenching his jaw and cracking his neck in irritation.

“Because you’re not a kid,” he said softly, opening his eyes to look at her.

“It’s about time you noticed,” she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I’ll be up there,” Spike said, not wanting to risk saying anything to that statement.

“No,” Buffy replied with another forceful tug of his shirt.

“Bloody hell, woman- you’re going to rip it!”

“So what? You’ve got like a million of ‘em.”

“Ha, bloody, ha.”

“Spike, if you don’t look at me as a kid, then I’m an adult, right?”

“Really don’t like where this conversation is going.”

“Answer me.”

“Fine,” he replied, exasperated. “You’re an adult in my eyes- you happy?”

“Then, as two adults, I’m saying that we should share the bed…platonically,” Buffy added, raising an eyebrow as if to challenge him.

Looking at the soft mattress and running his tongue along his bottom lip as he thought about the situation, Spike slowly turned his gaze to the young woman in front of him. “Anything even feels like it’s going to happen, and I’m outta here. Are we clear?”

“Crystal,” Buffy said, climbing into the bed and waiting until Spike was on the other side before speaking again. “You’re so worried about something happening and it never enters that big head of yours that I might not want it to.”

She could practically feel the shock rolling off his body as he turned to look at her in the dark. “What are you going on about? You were the one dreaming about me!”

“Exactly,” she replied, keeping the smirk off her face since she knew he could see it with his enhanced vision. “Dreaming, as in- unconscious. It’s not my fault that my brain can’t pick a good guy out of my Fantasy File.”

“Please, tell me you’re joking,” he replied, unsuccessfully trying to keep the jealousy out of his voice.

“About the File?” Buffy teased. “Nope, not joking. It could have been anyone- Johnny Depp, Jude Law…hell, even Xander…”

“Please, shut up,” Spike groaned, running a hand over his eyes.

“You get my point,” she continued with a shrug that he couldn’t see as she tried to suppress her laughter at his reaction. “You just happened to choose the night that it was about you.”

“I’m warning you- if you don’t shut the hell up right now, you’ll be sleeping outside.”

“Awww, poor Spikey. Don’t worry- I’m sure tonight it will be someone extra yummy…maybe Orlando Bloom.”

“Buffy!”

Smiling at the memory, Buffy prepared to climb out of the bed, wanting to slip out of the crypt to save Spike from the obvious scene that he wanted to avoid. It wasn’t exactly a ‘morning after’ situation, but she knew that he would still feel awkward. Slowly removing his hand from her stomach, she felt a profound sense of loss when she broke their contact. Not wanting to dwell on it, she tried to push herself to a sitting position, cringing when the bed squeaked under weight. Slipping out from under the covers, she breathed a sigh of relief when her feet were firmly on the floor.

Taking a deep breath and walking around to the other side of the bed as she straightened her clothes, Buffy hesitantly leaned over to brush her lips across his forehead, stopping a moment before she made contact and thought better of it, knowing that he wouldn’t like it.

“Bye, Spike,” she breathed, trailing her hand along his cheek before preparing to stand up.

“Where are you going, luv?” he asked, opening his eyes to look into hers.

Blinking and swallowing in surprise, Buffy didn’t think to stand up straight as she stared into his deep blue gaze. “I thought I’d go ahead and leave,” she murmured, trying to give him a soft smile.

“Don’t have to,” he said softly, reaching up to brush her hair out of her eyes.

“I think I probably should,” she said in a breathless whisper as his hand lingered near her face.

Realizing how close she was to his delicious mouth and feeling her pulse begin to race, Buffy took a shaky breath, calling on everything inside of her to move her lips away from the man she loved. Slowly standing up straight, she thought she saw a flash of disappointment in Spike’s eyes, but she knew she must have been imagining things.

‘Get out of here, before you embarrass yourself.’

“I should really go,” she said, trying to offer him a tender smile as she walked toward the ladder.

“I’ll walk you up, pet.”

“Spike, I’ve been here a million times. I think I can find my way to the door,” she replied. If she was honest with herself, she really wanted to spend as much time with him as she could, but if he did that, it would seem like too much of a date…and that would make her ache even more when it sunk in that this was all they would ever be.

“It’s alright,” he said, sitting up and rolling his head around his shoulders before standing. “I need to get some blood, anyway.”

He noticed that she didn’t cringe when he mentioned his dietary needs, like every other human seemed to. Instead, she merely nodded and began climbing the ladder.

She never made a face when he mentioned blood. She accepted all of him, just as he was, and never attempted to change him. That was one of the things he loved most about her. ‘Platonic love,’ he told himself, following her to the upper level and watching as she grabbed her bag and walked toward the door.

“I’ll see you later, Spike,” she said softly. “Thanks for letting me stay.”

“Anytime, pet,” he said before she got to the door. “Just promise me one thing, luv,” he added before she walked out into the sunlight.

“What’s that?” she asked, turning around to look at him.

“Promise me that you don’t really dream about the whelp,” he said, smiling when her eyes clouded over with repressed rage and laughing as he easily dodged the bag that she threw it at him.




Thanks so much to: shippy, Adriana, Aurora, shelly, Brunettepet, Ebontier, TammyAsh666, daisy, Carrosparro, Tasha, Kimber, starhawk, Amanda, spuffette, H, Cordykitten, Ashly, Caitie, willowmouse, beverly, stace, jenny, gypsy_jin, DANNII, pj, blondiebear, sandradee, samica, Jessica, Jessiesaly, BuffyRat, dreamgirl4eva, Laine, Elanor, chilli, BuffyandSpikeForever & Spikes Sweety for reviewing!





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