Chapter Thirteen


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Everything was still new, still unfamiliar – but she was happier than she had been in a long time. As she and Spike made their way through the dark streets of Sunnydale together, she glanced at him and smiled. He looked more relaxed than he had in a long time, savouring his cigarette as he flashed her a smile. She returned his smile and brushed her arm against his as they walked along.

“And remember, best behaviour tonight,” she reminded him with a teasing smile.

“What are you trying to suggest, Slayer?” he growled, reaching out and grabbing her hand, his fingers wrapping around hers.

“That you enjoy making Xander just this side of uncomfortable, maybe?”

He chuckled and she elbowed him in the side.

“The Whelp needs to get used to it. To us,” he murmured, drawing her close.

“He is,” she protested, “You know he’s been really good about the whole thing. You just enjoy testing his boundaries.”

“Boy needs to lighten up a bit,” he remarked with a shrug.

She couldn’t help but laugh at his attitude and he smiled boyishly, releasing her hand to drape his arm around her shoulders.

“Can I help it if he gets all squirmy whenever I decide to… express my affection?” he murmured with a smirk.

“I don’t call practically dry-humping me against his front door ‘expressing your affection’,” she commented with a pointed look, trying hard to suppress her smile.

“Didn’t see you complaining,” he pointed out and she glared at him.

He just smiled and came to a halt, blue eyes sparkling in the dark as he looked down at her.

“We’re going to be late,” she whispered, even as he was peppering kisses over her cheeks.

“Oh well,” he mumbled and kissed her softly, hands cupping her face as she sank against him.




When they finally reached the Bronze some time later, Buffy hastily ran a hand over her hair and her shirt, hoping it wouldn’t be too obvious that they had been somewhat waylaid. Of course, turning up half an hour late didn’t exactly help their case, but she hoped her friends would just gloss over that.

As they reached the table where her friends sat, she smiled widely and slid onto a stool next to her sister.

“Have you been behaving?” she teased her sister.

“Coming from the girl who turns up thirty minutes late with smudged lipstick,” Dawn returned pointedly.

Blushing furiously, Buffy elbowed Spike as he laughed out loud. He stopped himself and settled on a chair next to her, his hand just resting on her leg. Much to her relief, the conversation soon moved on and she was able to recover from her embarrassment. Spike squeezed her leg and leant close a moment later, his breath tickling her ear.

“You’re so sexy when you’re embarrassed, love,” he murmured lowly.

“Hey!” she protested lowly, even as his words sent a flush of arousal through her, “Behave.”

He drew back and smiled at her softly, his hand stroking over her arm.

“I’ll be a good boy and get the drinks then, shall I?”

She smiled and he slid to his feet. Of course, he couldn’t leave without trying to unsettle Xander and so he leant in and gave her a long kiss. When he pulled back, she rolled her eyes and he smiled, ignoring her friends’ embarrassment and turning in the direction of the bar. She watched him for a moment – admiring his form – and then turned to her friends with a sheepish smile.

“Sorry about him.”

“I think we’ve got that memo now,” Xander quipped with a wry smile, “Buffy ‘n’ Spike forever.”

Buffy let out a shaky laugh and gave her friend a warm smile, glad that he could joke about a relationship he still had his doubts about.



~~~A week before~~~


“And you’re sure he hasn’t got you under a spell?” Xander pressed hopefully.

“I’m sure,” she answered with a laugh, sitting down at the table beside him.

“Just checking.”

She smiled again and then turned to face her friend.

“I know this is hard for you.”

“No, it’s just… it’s weird, is all. You know, I’m so used to thinking of him as annoying Spike who hangs around and gets in the way… Guess it’s going to take some time to start thinking of him as Spike, boyfriend of Buffy.”

“But you’re… you’re okay with it?” she asked hesitantly, searching her friend’s face.

“Buff, if it’s what you want, I’m not going to stand in the way… even if it is Spike.”

He smiled and she took his hand, squeezing it gratefully.

“It means a lot that you don’t want to kill my boyfriend,” she quipped.

“As long as he doesn’t hurt you.. and as long as he doesn’t try to do it up against my door again.”

“I’m really sorry about that,” she got out embarrassedly.

“Already forgotten. Seriously.”

She smiled and squeezed her friend’s hand, before giving into her impulse and hugging him.

“Thank you, Xander.”


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She let her attention wander from her friends’ conversation and found her gaze drifting towards the bar, searching out a more-than-familiar blonde head. It wasn’t too difficult to spot him among the crowd and she smiled as she took in the sight of him, leaning up against the bar, relaxed and – wait, smiling at someone?

She sat up quickly, trying to see through the crowd. When she spotted the pretty barmaid who was talking to Spike – and blatantly flirting with him – her eyes narrowed on the thin brunette. The barmaid leant over the bar as she talked to Spike and Buffy’s gaze turned dangerous. Who did that girl think she was?!

“Buffy?”

She turned quickly back to her sister, not liking the knowing smile on her face.

“What?” she bit out impatiently.

“Problem?” Dawn asked, biting back her smile as she nodded in the direction of the bar.

The rest of the table were drawn to their conversation and she narrowed her eyes at her sister before glancing back to the bar where the barmaid was continuing to flirt with her boyfriend. Seriously, how long did it take to serve someone?

“Excuse me,” she got out, ignoring the smiles of her friends as she slid off her chair and made her way through the crowd.



She finally reached Spike and with a glare at the barmaid, she caught him lightly by the arm.

“Hey.”

He turned to her and bestowed a soft smile upon her, his eyes flooded instantly with love as he looked down at her.

“’Lo, love. Miss me already?”

“Uh-huh,” she murmured, leaning up and kissing him, more than aware of the barmaid watching her with an unimpressed look. Determined to get the message across, she kissed him harder, holding his mouth to hers as she caught his lip between her teeth, drawing a low growl from him. His grip tightened on her but she forced herself away with a blinding smile.

The barmaid cleared her throat pointedly and glared at Buffy.

“That’s eight dollars fifty.”

Much to Buffy’s delight, Spike didn’t even look at the girl as he placed the money down on the bar.

“Keep the change,” he called, taking Buffy’s hand and dragging her away into the crowd. Instead of leading her back to her friends though, he led her round to the area under the stairs, where they had once shared some clandestine kisses.



He came to a halt, pinning her up against the column as he looked down at her with a bright gaze. His head dipped, resting lightly against hers as he spoke.

“You’re even sexier when you’re jealous.”

She jerked away from him and raised her eyes to find him smiling in amusement.

“I wasn’t jealous,” she replied, faking nonchalance.

He only laughed, catching her around the waist and drawing her close against him. She tried to resist, tried not to soften with his touch – but it was hopeless. She sank against him and let her hands come to rest on the lapels of his jacket, gripping him as she raised her eyes to his.

“That skank was all over you,” she sulked.

He smiled widely and reached up to brush her hair from her face.

“And you think I was at all interested?”

“Well, I hope not!”

“You know not.”

She pouted childishly and he chuckled, catching her bottom lip between his teeth playfully. She relented instantly and he kissed her softly, but soon pulled back to look at her.

“And I thought I was the only monster in this relationship… but look what we have here: a green-eyed monster.”

She poked her tongue out at him and he smiled again.

“I didn’t like the way she was looking at you,” she mumbled, avoiding his gaze.

He chuckled and then guided her eyes back to his with a gentle hand.

“You have nothing to worry about. I’ve only got eyes for you.”

“Yeah, but what about all the girls who have eyes for you?” she sulked, playing up to his attentions.

“As long as you’re head of the fan club, it’ll be okay.”

She narrowed her eyes at him but couldn’t stay angry at him for long.



“You’re such a jerk,” she whispered, leaning against him, her forehead resting against his lips.

“You love it.”

“Maybe a little bit.”

He froze and she tensed for a moment before she forced herself to relax, wrapping her arms around him. He seemed to relax at the same moment and he held her closer.

“Just a little bit?” he murmured, his voice muffled by her hair.

“After you were smiling back at the skanky barmaid? Yeah, just a little bit.”

He chuckled and drew back to look at her, cupping her face in one hand.

“Now, that’s just cruel.”

She pouted, but when his eyes zeroed in on her lip, she couldn’t help but smile.

“I’ll make it up to you,” she whispered, drawing his gaze to hers.

“Sounds very interesting,” he murmured, dipping his head to drop light kisses over her neck and shoulder.

She just smiled and wrapped her arms around him tightly, holding him close. She was incredibly jealous when it came to him – and after only two weeks as a couple – but it felt good to feel so strongly. She didn’t know if she loved him yet, couldn’t be sure what she felt, but it certainly felt like she was falling for him.

The more time she spent with him, the more she realised that she had really missed out with him before. All that affection and tenderness and sweetness she could have had – and was now savouring. How could she have been so stupid? And to think, all that she had needed to open her eyes was the tiniest hint of losing him to someone else. It seemed that monsters were good for something after all – green-eyed ones at least.



THE END