A/N: Before you read this, I suggest you go listen to "A Little Fall of Rain", a song in the musical Les Miserables, which inspired this piece.
A Little Fall of Rain
It wasn’t love at first sight, because such a thing does not exist. It wasn’t even a love that developed after a conversation or two, purely based on attraction and fueled by common interest. In fact, it was so plain a love, that for the five out of the ten years that she had known him, she hadn’t even realized that she was in love with him.
She couldn’t make out a certain point in time when it just seemed to click. No, it was a feeling that developed. It was a slow opening of the curtain, much like the lifting of a bride’s veil on her wedding day.
She didn’t fall in love with him, like love was a hole in the ground she didn’t see coming. It was more like a growth. A development. A beautiful rose peeking through the last frost of winter, hinting the spring that was about to bloom in all its glory.
For most of her life, they were friends. First, they were acquaintances that shared a nod or a smile between the classes in junior high. Then, as they progressed into high school, they became friends. By the time they went to college, they were inseparable. Inseparable best friends.
Sometimes, love works in funny ways. For instance, when she finally got the notice that she was in love with him, he got the notice that he was in love with Drusilla. And Drusilla got the notice that she was in love with him, as well. So it worked out, except for the fact that the short, little blonde in the equation got left out as a remainder. Not a valid part of the answer. An outlier. An oddity with no real importance. A loner. A –
“Okay, you can stop that now! Really not helping with the self-esteem issue,” Buffy called out to nobody in particular. She was currently lying on her back, staring at the rotting ceiling above her, thinking about nothing except how miserable she was and how lonely her life was.
Next to her bed was a nightstand with a photograph that she refused to look at. At least, for the moment. Usually, she loved looking at the photograph. It always reminded her of the closeness she had with Spike before The Bitch came along, planting herself between them like the grand canyon, with Spike on one side and Buffy on the other. And this huge massive cleft in the middle.
The funny thing was that The Bitch was one of the nicest people Buffy knew, albeit one of the creepiest.
She closed her eyes again and the memory of a night a month or so before came rushing back in…
Flashback – The Night A Month Or So Before
They were sitting in one of the many restaurants in Little Italy, laughing and talking as they always did. Drusilla, Spike, Buffy, and Willow – who came on Buffy’s request. The atmosphere was light and cheery, basically anything but romantic.
Spike laughed at something Buffy said, and when Spike laughed, everyone laughed, reinforcing the cheeriness of the room. He turned his eyes on her and as always, Buffy felt herself melting.
“I’d like to make a toast,” Spike announced, raising his champagne glass and grinning easily at the three girls with him.
“Oh no,” Drusilla giggled, and raised her glass as well. Willow and Buffy giggled with her and looked towards Spike, wondering what he was going to say.
“To the best bloody girl in the whole world… Buffy,” he started, and Buffy’s breath got caught in her throat. “I don’t really know what the hell I would do without you. Like the time when I got pissed at that one club and ran out naked as – “
“Stop!” Buffy squeaked, putting her glass down and covering her ears. “Reminiscing stops here!”
“Fine, love,” Spike rolled his eyes a little, then resumed his speech, “What I’d like to say is that for ten years, you have been the woman of my life…” Drusilla raised an eyebrow, but kept her mouth shut as he continued, “… you’ve been there, you’ve seen me at my best, you’ve seen my at my worst, and I can safely say this: You’ve stuck with me, day in, day out. And for that, I’d like to thank you.”
“Here, here,” Willow lifted her glass a little and smiled at Buffy, who just stared at Spike, speechless.
“But then…” he cast Drusilla a small smile, “this other amazing woman came into my life. Drusilla. Someone new and exciting and someone who showed me the other half of this world I had no idea existed.”
Buffy drowned him out. The pain in her heart increased exponentially as he continued her toast, lavishing praise on Drusilla. The person between her and the one she loved.
“… all I know is that I want my best friend with me when I do this…” Spike got up from his chair slowly and suddenly, Buffy stopped living. He slowly got down on his knees in front of Drusilla. No… no, no, no, she prayed and pleaded with God. Drusilla looked shocked and slowly set her half-finished champagne back on the table.
“Drusilla,” Spike spoke reverently, almost in a whisper. Drusilla stared back at him, looking terrified, numb, frightened, and ecstatic all at the same time. “Will you marry me?”
Will you marry me?
William… Spike… will you please look at me and know that I love you more than life? Please don’t say those words to her. Please?
Buffy cried as Drusilla – who was speechless – nodded and Spike slipped a ring onto her finger and kissed her and –
They all just assumed she was overwhelmed with the romance of it all.
But the atmosphere wasn’t romantic. It wasn’t light and cheery anymore, either.
End Flashback
The month had passed with much ado. Preparations, invitations, dress-shopping,… it was all a very big ordeal. In which Drusilla was excited and floating on a cloud and Buffy was heart-broken and dark.
“Enough is enough,” Buffy muttered to herself, and forced herself off the bed and to her closet to put on some decent clothing.
It was time to have a talk with Spike, her best friend. And tell him how she really felt.
squawks
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!