First were the drinks and the spicy wings. Only one order of bloomin’ onion though—Buffy didn’t fancy onion rings very much, and attempted to exclude herself from eating the deep fried snack.

“Come on, love. Just a taste,” Spike persisted, holding a “petal” up towards her mouth. His voice was low, and sensually coaxing.

“It’s important to try new things, huh?” she asked rhetorically. She opened her mouth, allowing him to place it gently on her tongue. And to be completely honest, it had nothing to do with trying new things, and everything to do with how he asked her.

After, there was pool. Much different than the last time they played, simply because it wasn’t all business. It was fun. Flirty.

And then the band took the stage.

Spike put down his cue, and rounded the table, eyes trained on her all the while.

“Care for a dance?” he asked her, head tilted, and a slight smile on his face.

Buffy extended her hand to him.

“You know I wanna dance,” she replied. He smirked, taking her hand, and lead her to the dance floor.

She blushed slightly as his hands, firm and gentle, found their place on her hips. She placed hers on his shoulders, slowly swaying to the slow melody with him.

Eyes hooded, Spike watched as a small smile formed on her lips, her hands gliding across his shoulders to the back of his neck. Her fingers gently caressed the short hairs at his nape, and he squeezed her a bit tighter.

He pulled her flush against him, gently kissing her temple. That was when she stopped swaying to the music, back ramrod straight.

Spike pulled back, and searched her face questioningly, concerned that maybe it was too fast for her. But her eyes—round and wide—were not on him. She was watching something behind him.

Buffy cowered, trying to hide behind his now still form. Spike craned his neck around. His jaw tightened slightly as he saw the Scoobies enter.

Quickly, he spun them around, so that they would both be clearly visible to the group of three.

“No hiding,” he gritted out tightly, voice low. “We do this, we do it right.” She looked down, brow furrowed. Spike raised his hand, gently cupping her cheek, so that she would look at him. “All right?” he asked her quietly.

She paused, breath caught in her throat, staring at him. His gaze was soft, but slightly pained, as if he were expecting her to say no.

Buffy exhaled slowly.

She brought up a hand, cupping one of his as well. She leaned upward, and gave him a kiss on his slightly parted mouth as a response.

It was that pain in his eyes that made her say yes.

Slowly, she deepened the kiss, moaning into his mouth as Spike pulled her closer.

So loss in the passionate, yet tender kiss, she didn’t hear her friends call her name. Didn’t feel the impatient, yet worried tapping on her shoulder.

And when she finally did notice, she didn’t care.

Her friends would just have to deal.

*~*~*~*

“Come on, Xander. Clearly, you’re being ignored. We’re being ignored. They’ll be done when they’re done,” Anya said in exasperation, tugging on her fiancé’s arm.

“But—but—”

“Anya’s right, Xander. Let’s just go sit down. The song will be over soon,” Willow said soothingly, taking his other arm. Both of his gals steered him through the throng of couples to an empty table.

“Well, I didn’t see that coming,” Xander said with an exhale as they sat down. “Any of you see that coming?”

Both Willow and Anya shook their heads “no.”

The three looked down the middle of the crowd at the blonde pair, who were now just holding each other, gazing at one another, still swaying as the song came to a close.

“I mean, there wasn’t like a spell or something we should know about, Willow?”

“Xander—”

“Okay, sorry. Maybe demon goo of some kind?” he asked, looking at the two of them. He gave them a wry smile. “It was just a thought.”

“They have been spending quite a bit of time together, right?” Anya asked. “Patrol, and Spike always going over—”

“Not in the last few days, but something’s clearly changed,” Willow added.

Xander watched as Spike twirled Buffy around slowly, so that her back was now to his front. He saw her laugh as Spike did so. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. She placed her hand atop his as they rested on her belly.

“It’s real,” he said softly.

Willow looked at her best friend, worry etched on her face. “Are you going to be okay with this?”

Xander gave her a little smile at the question, though his gaze was still on the pair on the dance floor.

“I haven’t seen Buffy laugh since she’s been back. If Spike makes her happy like that,” he paused, his gaze flickering between the worried face of Willow, and the inquisitive one of Anya.

“Then I’ll deal.”