SUMMARY: “See if I care. You go patrol and when you get home your friends will be waiting for you, all of a twitter, wanting answers to questions that are best left unasked.” Set immediately after the end of Once More With Feeling.
RATING: PG – for Spike’s lovely abuse of the English language.
DISCLAIMER: Story – mine, characters and situations – ME and Joss Whedon’s.
They pulled apart from each other and, while he did make a half-hearted attempt, Spike couldn’t resist a smirk from covering his face. “Oh, so that’s what you want, is it?” he leered.
“Shut up.” Buffy tried to walk around him, but he neatly stepped into her path.
“What’s the matter, Slayer? Can’t admit how you feel about me?”
“I don’t feel anything for you, Spike.” She sidestepped him again.
He didn’t want to admit her words hurt, but they did. He let her pass, feeling his silent heart sink to his stomach. Still, he was the Big Bad – with two capital B’s. No matter what she did, he wasn’t going to admit how much it did hurt. “Is it nice there in Egypt this time of year, pet?” he asked her back as she walked away from him.
She spun to face him and he silently cheered, knowing she’d heard his words. “What?”
“Egypt, land of denial?” Was he really going to have to explain this one to her?
Apparently he didn’t because Buffy merely rolled her eyes and turned away again.
“Fine,” he huffed. He’d watch her until she turned the corner and then he’d head home. The rest of the Scoobies were still in the Bronze, no doubt dissecting the whole sing-along thing. So at least he could get avoid them and their curious glances. Maybe they’d forget what they’d seen in there and he could keep his image intact. He was a vampire – he didn’t sing silly choruses with dance steps and hand motions.
Hang about. That wasn’t the direction of home. Buffy’s actions brought him back to the very here and now. Bleedin’ hell, the woman had turned in the direction of the nearest cemetery. She planned on doing a patrol before going home. What a silly cow.
With a few quick strides he caught up with her. “What do you think you’re doing?” he asked, grasping her arm.
She wrenched the limb away from him. “Not that it’s any of your business,” she began angrily, “but I’m going patrolling. It’s what I do, remember? I stake vampires.”
He ignored the hint that was hidden in her voice and instead cocked his head at her. “Tonight?” he asked incredulously.
“Yes, tonight. Just like every other night.”
“Bad idea,” he commented.
Now it was her turn to look incredulous. “Excuse me?”
Since they were at a standstill he took the opportunity to take out a cigarette and light it. “All I’m saying, luv, is that maybe tonight you should go home and I’ll patrol for you.” He took a drag and waited for her to respond.
She just continued to look at him.
“Look,” he began patiently. “If I take you home now, you can be in bed by the time them in there,” he jerked a thumb back in the direction of the club, “get home. That way you avoid all the annoying questions until morning.”
She levelled a glare at him. “You’ll take me home?” she asked, with a dangerous tone in her voice.
He threw up his hands in surrender and sparks from the cigarette went flying. “I’ll be the perfect gentleman, just see you to your door, like,” he said.
Buffy burst out laughing. “Oh, that’s a good one, Spike. You a gentleman?”
“I can be,” he said, indignant. “Much more than you can be a lady, anyway.”
He could tell she wasn’t buying it, but he knew he was right. The best thing she could do would be to avoid her friends until the morning, when everyone had had a chance to sleep on things a little. If there was one thing he knew about the woman in front of him, though, it was that she could be a right stubborn bitch when she chose – and she was choosing right now. “Fine, right,” he snapped. “See if I care. You go patrol and when you get home your friends will be waiting for you, all of a twitter, wanting answers to questions that are best left unasked.”
It was the second time that night he’d stormed off on her, but she really drove him insane at times. He hadn’t asked to be in love with her. It was a sodding joke anyway, vampire in love with a slayer. It was bad enough that he actually helped her stake others of his kind. If he wasn’t careful he’d find himself like Angel – not that he’d go for the whole soul thing. He’d never go that soft.
Somehow, though, he wasn’t surprised to hear her quick footsteps catch up to him. In silent accord they headed in the direction of her home on Revello Drive. The streets of Sunnydale were quiet – a blessed relief after the stage they’d been for the past day. All the nice people were probably inside, wondering why Timmy suddenly couldn’t hold a tune to save his life again. That was something Spike had noticed. Everyone - every human, every demon - had been able to sing perfectly in tune. It was definitely one of the more bizarre things he’d seen and heard in his long, undead, life.
True to his word, Spike did just see Buffy to her door. Even though he had a standing invitation to come in, he stayed outside. He even fought back the urge to kiss her again. It wasn’t right to get too much of a good thing, he reasoned with himself.
“Right, good night then,” he said as he stood on her step.
She stood in the doorway, her frame silhouetted by the light from the interior hallway. “You don’t want to come in?” she asked in surprise.
He shook his head. “I don’t think so, luv. You need to get to bed before the others get home and I need to go stake something for you.”
She smiled at him and the sight of that smile did him good. “Thanks, Spike,” she said and he could tell she was genuine about it. Once again she’d made him feel like he was something, and it was almost too much for him. He needed to get away, before he did something stupid and she returned to hating him.
He nodded awkwardly at her and turned away. After he heard her close the front door behind him, he slipped around the side of the house and stood under her window. He waited there, watching her move around behind the covered windows, until the light in her room went off.
She was just in time, too. Before he could slip away he heard familiar voices approach the house. He stayed in the shadows, listening to their excited chatter, and knew he’d been right about them.
“I just don’t believe it,” he heard Anya say.
“Perhaps she had her reasons,” Tara replied. He nodded in agreement, but kept silent. “Not Buffy,” Anya snorted. “Xander. I don’t believe you summoned a demon.”
He didn’t stick around to hear Xander’s response. Hopefully, they’d realise Buffy was in bed and would leave her be. Xander and his bird would go back to their place and the other three would go to their own rooms, leaving the questioning until sun up – when cooler heads might prevail.
Spike visited three cemeteries on the way back to his crypt. It was a quiet night – seemed the demons were trying to recuperate after Hellmouth: The Musical as well. Those that were out seemed surprised to see him, though not so much at his actions. He’d managed to make a name for himself as a demon slayer, which wasn’t terribly impressive. He laughed off one vamp’s snide comments just before he dusted him, and then scowled at the dusty remains.
He didn’t want to think about Buffy, and part of him wanted to forget what had transpired between them earlier. When he’d arrived at the Bronze and seen her dancing he’d not thought about his actions. He’d just jumped straight in there and stopped her, which meant he’d saved her life. Not that she’d actually thanked him for that, of course. That wouldn’t have been her style.
She really was a bitch to him at times. Still, she did occasionally have her moments of treating him like he was a man - rather than a monster – and he couldn’t hate her anymore than he could stop loving her. She was part of his life now, and he didn’t want to go through life without her again anytime soon.
He kicked the crypt door shut behind him. Buffy – what a bloody enigma, he thought. Just as you thought you were getting used to her behaviour she’d go and confuse you again. Spike wasn’t sure where the kiss had come from, or if there’d even be a repeat of it. Still, that was the second time now she’d initiated such a move. The last time he’d been too beaten up to respond. This time around though, he had responded, and she’d made him hunger for more.
Best not to push her though, he decided. She had enough on her plate, what with the revelation she’d landed on everybody. No, he would be the perfect gentleman, just as he’d told her earlier. He’d not go chasing after her like some pathetic creature – he’d done his time of that when he’d still had a heartbeat. No, he’d wait for her.
Like a perfect gentleman.
Yeah, right, such a big, bad vampire thing to do.
He threw himself onto his sarcophagus in disgust.
FINIS