CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Buffy found herself standing outside Riley’s apartment half an hour later, her tender ankle slowing her down more than usual. The walk over had been uneventful- completely void all things nasty and fanged. She hesitated a moment before knocking, fixing her hair self-consciously as she listened to the movement inside.

The door opened only a moment later, and she was greeted by the grinning face of her boyfriend. He ushered her inside, wrapping an arm around her waist as she passed him. She stumbled a little bit as he moved to walk behind her, putting his other hand on her hip, but she smiled when she turned her head towards him.

“I almost thought you weren’t coming anymore,” he told her, his grin wide.

“Yeah, sorry.” She said, letting him lead her to the bed.

The apartment was too small for a sofa, so the bed was really the only place to sit besides the barstools at the counter of the small kitchenette. Still, the place was only temporary until he had finished his final year at the college. Most of the other Initiative soldiers had been dispersed into different sections of the army since they’d been shut down, but because Riley had been officially discharged, he had decided to finish his degree.

“I left right when you messaged me, but I kind of got slowed up.” She grimaced as she sat down. Off his concerned look, she waved a hand dismissively. “I’m alright, just a bad ankle.”

There was the tiniest bit of disappointment in Riley’s eyes, but he frowned in concern. “You okay?”

“Some ice would be handy,” she told him with a smile, and propped her foot up on the bed as he stood to get some.

“So, you were patrolling when you hurt it?” he asked, digging through the freezer.

“Yeah, bad fall, but the vamp went all dusty for its troubles.” She assured him, gratefully accepting the ice he’d wrapped in a cloth for her. She sighed as it made contact with her ankle, “So, no big.”

“You should have had back up,” Riley muttered worriedly as he sat down in front of her, with her injured leg behind him. Buffy only noticed then that she hadn’t said who had done the dusting. Remember her boyfriend’s reaction when Spike had joined them in the Magic Box, she decided to keep it to herself. Instead, she cupped his cheek in her hand.

“Hey, I’m fine.” She assured him, and with only the slightest amount of hesitation, she pressed her mouth to his. The way he responded was sweet, but his enthusiasm- obviously still alive and kicking inside him- ruined any chance of the kiss being tender. There was a rough edge to it, and Buffy pulled away.

Riley smiled at her, “You know how long it’s been since you’ve kissed me?”

It took Buffy a moment to think up an answer… it had been days, maybe weeks since she’d last kissed her boyfriend. In fact, the last person she had actually kissed was… Not going there, Buffy, she told herself forcefully. A wave of guilt crashed over her. What kind of girlfriend was she?

She pulled up the appropriate answer, meeting her boyfriend’s eyes. Those pale green eyes. “Too long.”

And in moments, their mouths were meeting again, and he was laying her out carefully on the bed beneath him.
 

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Buffy hung her jacket up on the hook, rubbing her eyes as she headed up the stairs. She had completely forgotten to change that morning, blaming her scattered mind on a lack of caffeine. It wasn’t like Riley had forced her out the door, but he was never the type for morning snuggles or even sex. He was too stuck in his army ways- he still did pushups every morning before heading out for a jog.

He’d invited her along, but she had told him she should probably give her ankle a rest before patrol again that night, and claimed that she had assignments to work on anyway. It was true actually, she did have work to do, but her brain wasn’t exactly up to the academic challenge this early in the morning.

But his work out had seriously cut down her chance of making with the sorry-I’m-such-a-crappy-girlfriend intimacy she’d been making with, still feeling guilty over how distant they’d been lately. So they’d made plans to meet for lunch on campus the next day, and she’d headed home.

Buffy headed upstairs for a quick shower, changing into a pair of jeans and a light blue tank top and throwing a white cardigan over it. She padded barefoot downstairs to the kitchen, set the kettle to boil and gathered up her school things. Armed with coffee, a seriously dangerous-looking text book and a pen, she spread out her things on the dining table and set to work on her latest assignment despite her terminal lack of interest and incentive.

“Buffy?”

She jumped, almost spilling her coffee right on her very expensive text book. “Dawnie? What the hell are you doing home? It’s Thursday.” She furrowed her brow. “It is Thursday, right?”

Dawn smirked. “Yes, it’s Thursday, usually comes right after Wednesday.”

Buffy scrunched up her nose at her sister’s sarcasm. “Which still begs the question: Why are you home? Shouldn’t you be out learning things?”

Her sister shrugged. “They have some stupid seminar on safe sex and drugs being of the bad going on half the day. So I convinced Mom I was sick.” Buffy raised her eyebrow. “What? It’s not like I’m going out? I intend to stay here and—“

“It’s okay, Dawnie.” Buffy laughed. “I understand the dangers of public schools. Just stay here in case Mom decides to bring you chicken soup at some random hour.”

Dawn grinned, sitting down at the head of the table, “Deal.” She hesitated a moment before she spoke up again. “Oh, by the way, I found this.” She dipped her hand into her pocket and dropped a piece of card onto Buffy’s open book.

Another admirer note.

Buffy stared at it for a long moment before her eyes narrowed and she looked at her sister. “Where did you find it?”

Dawn bowed her head, “In your room.” Off Buffy’s look, she went on the defensive. “I only went in there looking for socks because I kind of forgot to put mine into the wash, and I needed socks so I just went to borrow some, it’s not like I was snooping or anything.”

Buffy laughed. She picked up the note carefully, and fingered the edge for a moment before opening it.

“What does it say?” Dawn asked immediately.

The Slayer rolled her eyes at her little sister, but read out loud anyway, her brow furrowed.

“She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes
Thus mellow’d to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.”

The two sisters sat in silence for a moment, Buffy’s eyes on the card, and Dawn’s on Buffy. It was a heavy pause before Dawn finally breathed a “Wow…”

Buffy looked up, the softest of smiles on her lips. Then her brow creased again slightly. “Wait, I know this one. Gordon someone… or…” she frowned, before snapping her fingers proudly. “George Gordon Byron.” She informed her sister proudly.

Dawn raised an eyebrow, “That’s all you’re taking from that?”

“Hey, Can we be proud of Buffy’s academic excellence for one moment, please?” Buffy pouted playfully.

“Whatever,” Dawn eye rolled back, “It’s still so romantic! Like that line about your eyes…”

“And all that’s best of dark and bright/ Meet in her aspect and her eyes.” Buffy read again. “Dawnie, do you even know what that means?”

“Duh, he’s saying that everything that is beautiful in the world is within you too.” She stated matter-of-factly with a quirked brow.

“Wow. Okay, two points for Dawn.”

“C’mon Buffy, don’t you think it’s romantic?” Dawn pressed earnestly.
Buffy set the card down gently and looked at her sister. “So, youdon’t think it’s creepy and weird that some guy is getting into my room and leaving things behind?”

Dawn wrinkled her nose. “Well, sorta, but I don’t think they mean any harm. I think the presents would have gotten a little more, uh, stalker-ish if they were. You know, with dead flowers or something. He just... has a weird way of showing his feelings.” She shrugged.

Buffy stared at her sister, surprised.

“What?” Dawn shifted uncomfortably.

“You are the first person to agree with me on this.” Well, except Spike, she amended mentally. “Everybody else doesn’t want to trust me.”

She shrugged. “It’s not really any of their business anyway. If you want the guy to go away, you’ll make him go away. Until then, reap the benefits. Free chocolate and pretty poems,” she grinned.

Buffy smiled back, standing. “I know it’s like, eleven o’clock in the morning, but you want brownies?”

“Sh-yeah!”