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Blind Date by BloodEnvy
 
Two
 
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Chapter Two

Buffy wasn’t really sure how it had happened, but somehow, she was sitting at the usual table at the Bronze next to Spike, apparently on a date. He was sitting next to her, quiet for once, his hands jittering between his beer and his lap. She could feel his gaze every time he glanced her way, which confused the heck out of her, but it also made her... strangely... regret her choice in outfit.

Dawn had persisted that she wear something sexy instead of the jeans and top she had picked, so she had reluctantly agreed on a satin halter neck in a light pink with a daring neckline, a thick black band around the waist and a deep back. It came down to brush just above her knees. She’d worn her hair up, exposing her neck and collarbones, and paired the entire outfit with a pair of black strappy heels and a silver necklace. Dawn had insisted she wear a heart instead of a cross.

At least now I know why she was so damn adamant...

“Remind me again why you’re here, Spike.” She spoke up suddenly. Anya had, in a rare show of tact, dragged Xander onto the dance floor before he could say anything about Buffy’s apparent suitor, and Willow and Tara were yet to return, leaving the blonde couple completely alone.

“I’m...” Spike hesitated, clearing his throat. “I’m your date, love.”

“And why is that?” Buffy pressed, irritated. “And don’t call me that.”

Spike sighed, running a hand over his face. “The nibblet didn’t want you alone on Valentine’s. I didn’t want to spend it with Harm, so I figured a night out wouldn’t kill me.” He glanced at her, curling his tongue behind his teeth. “Unless you’ve got a stake hidden somewhere in that little number, but somehow, pet, I doubt it.”

“That’s what handbags are for.” Buffy quipped with a dangerous smirk. “You could have gone to Willie’s or... patrolling if you wanted to get out.”

“And leave you all alone here, Slayer?” He held a hand to his chest mockingly. “Do you think me not a gentleman, pet?”

“You’re anything but a gentleman, Spike.”

“Shows what you know,” the vampire scoffed, before ducking his head. If Buffy didn’t know better, she’d say he was embarrassed. “Look, I didn’t need to be here, Slayer.”

“That would be why I keep asking you why are you here?” Buffy stressed the last few words.

Spike stood, pushing his chair back almost violently. Buffy forced herself not to jump, to keep her expression cold. “Fine, I’m leaving, Slayer, alright? You happy? I just thought, Valentine’s Day, it hasn’t exactly been peachy for either of us the last few years, and we could maybe keep each other company. Run a bloody pity party you know, but you want to spend your night alone, that’s fine. Be a bloody bitch.”

He spun on his heel and stormed away, leaving the Slayer momentarily frozen. His outburst had startled her; he wasn’t usually one for anything beyond snarky comments and snide comments, at least when she was around. Jerking out of her chair, she found herself catching up to him and grabbing his shoulder before she even realised she was doing it.

“What did you mean just then, ‘it’s been bad for both of us’?” Buffy turned him around, brow furrowed curiously. “What’d you do? Buy Harmony the wrong unicorn?”

She watched as Spike simultaneously clenched his fists and his jaw, and she dropped her hand, stepping back and holding up both hands in a show of apology.

There was a long moment, and Spike began to speak. “The last Valentine’s Day I... celebrated... was with Drusilla. I... I got her a necklace. And then...” Spike sighed, his air turning almost nonchalant. “And then Angelus the Great and Mighty Poof waltzes in and one ups me with a bleedin’ heart. Literally. Straight away, Dru’s fawning over him like he’s the best bloody thing in the world. They slept together for the first time that night, right in front of me. Her and your bloody lover.”

Buffy’s mouth had fallen open at some point, and she stood there motionless. The pain on the vampire’s face was obvious despite his cavalier attitude, and she felt like it was burning into her, scaring her. That Valentine’s Day... the one that had caused her so much anguish, had hurt him too.

Sighing, she stepped up to him, placing a hesitant hand on his forearm. Curling her fingers around it, she turned and led him back to the table, where her friends were now sitting again, pretending not to watch the blonde duo argue.


*                              *                              *                              *                              *                              *                              *


“You didn’t beat me, Slayer, I forfeited!”

“You did not! I pulled the ring off you, you ran for cover, the end, you lose, two points for Buffy.” She rolled her eyes, punching his arm lightly. They were sitting side by side at the table, wedged between Willow and Anya, barely a foot apart. They were all laughing, Xander in particular at the stories of Spike’s failures.

“Think what you wish, love, you know I can take you.”

Buffy blushed at the sudden suggestive tilt of his eyebrow. She knew she should feel strange, what with the flirty nature they seemed to be sharing, but she couldn’t help it. It felt so natural, so easy... so... right?
Decidedly ignoring that last thought, she settled on sticking her tongue out at him and swaying to the beat of the song currently blaring from the DJ’s speakers.

“You...” Spike leaned closer to her hesitantly, his voice barely audible. Buffy turned to face him, her laughing face sobering a little as she eyed him curiously. “Do... do you want to dance, Slayer?”

“Dance?” Buffy cursed herself silently as her voice carried, causing the others to turn and stare at her. At them. “With... with you?”

“Well, yeah, love. That’s the general idea...” Spike’s eyes remained on hers as he ducked his head.

Buffy noticed in that moment how beautiful his eyes were, a shocking blue that warmed his face. Her own eyes travelled over his face, tracing the scar on his eyebrow and up to his hair, before back down the straight line of his nose and over his hollow cheekbones to his full, slightly parted lips.

“To... to this song?” She choked out.

Spike smirked. Damn that smirk. “Well, we could always wait for Wind Beneath My Wings, pet.”

Buffy scowled, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the dance floor. “This song will do.” She muttered as she dragged a laughing Spike into the throng of dancing, love struck couples.


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Buffy turned to face Spike as she found herself in the middle of the floor. Suddenly, all that thoughtlessness that had brought them both out there had deserted her, and she gave him a small, awkward smile.

“So, uh...”

Buffy was cut off mid-stutter as Spike wordlessly stepped up to her, closing the distance between them. He took her hands gently and placed them on his shoulders before resting his own on her waist carefully. Buffy blushed, her eyes everywhere but on him. It was strange, an almost alien experience feeling his body brushing against hers. They weren’t pressed together by any means, but she could still feel the lean, muscular body of the vampire against hers as she began to sway to the music. Looking up, she raised an eyebrow as the song blended into another.

“Are you humming?”

“Hmm?” Spike looked down at her, a small smile on his mouth as he admitted, amused, “Yeah, love. I know more than just seventies punk, you know.”

Buffy smiled, “I don’t know it.”

Spike chuckled, pulling her closer as the lyrics began, mumbling them in her ear, almost crooning.

See the stone set in your eyes
See the thorn twist in your side
I wait for you
 
Sleight of hand and twist of fate
On a bed of nails she makes me wait
And I wait without you
 
With or without you
With or without you

Buffy shivered against him, her arms sliding up to wrap around his neck. Who knew Spike could sing? Resting her head on his chest, she let him lean down and continue in her ear as she closed her eyes.

Through the storm, we reach the shore
You gave it all but I want more
And I'm waiting for you
 
With or without you
With or without you
I can't live with or without you
 
And you give yourself away
And you give yourself away
And you give and you give
And you give yourself away

“Spike?”

“Yeah, pet?”

“This Valentine’s hasn’t exactly been a suck-fest this year, has it?” She moved back to look at him carefully.

He chuckled again. Was it wrong that she loved that sound? “Not at all, love. Not at all.”

Buffy smiled, hesitating before continuing. “Well, I think maybe... well, this is the first Valentine’s I’ve had where I haven’t wanted to go home and drown my sorrows in an extremely large carton of cookies and cream Ben and Jerry’s.”

“Glad to hear it.” His hands slid more securely around her, his fingertips drawing idle patterns over the bare skin of her back. She stepped closer to him, bringing their bodies together.

My hands are tied, my body bruised
She got me with nothing to win
And nothing else to lose
 
And you give yourself away
And you give yourself away
And you give and you give
And you give yourself away

“Well, I was just thinking...” Buffy ventured slowly, “Maybe this should be a constant thing.”

“What do you mean?” Buffy could see the emotions playing on Spike’s face, but she couldn’t read them.

“Maybe this could be, like a tradition or something. We could spend Valentine’s Day together... you know, every year. No matter whom we’re with.”

“You want to be my Valentine, Slayer?” Spike asked her, “Every year?”

With or without you
With or without you
I can't live
With or without you

“Well... yeah,” Buffy shrugged, smiling. “Why spend it moping and worrying about who likes you and who doesn’t when I can have fun with you instead? I mean, it’s not like we’re exactly mortal enemies anymore. Who’s it gonna hurt?”

“And you think any of your future... boy toys are gonna be happy with it?”

“Who cares? They can learn to live with it.”

“So, what you’re saying here...” Spike hedged. “Is that you want to spend the most romantic day of the year... with me... every year, am I right?”

Buffy rubbed her lips together, licking them. “Yeah, that’s what I’m saying.”

With or without you
With or without you
I can't live
With or without you
With or without you

He tightened his arms around her and kissed her forehead. “Sounds good to me, love.”
 
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