Buffy was in heaven, she was convinced that everything was in alignment just for her right now. She was curled up with Spike on one side, Anya on the other. The rest of her friends were arranged on either side. But she was next to Spike and that was what mattered.
The only thing bursting her bubble was Tara's warning earlier that night when she asked Buffy to take it things slowly with Spike. She'd asked if Buffy was prepared to be patient and understanding enough to act as Spike's conscience, too.
Buffy was a little nervous about the responsibility. She wasn't sure she always made the right decisions, let alone capable of making them for someone else.
Tara had assured her Spike would listen whole-heartedly to what she said was best. And therein lay the rub.
There was no room for her to be selfish because she had to show him what was the actual right, not just what was right for her.
Buffy looked over at Spike, who was illuminated in the moonlight. His face was still in an expression of concern, lines around his mouth and eyes that weren't there when he was calm cut up his face. Buffy felt a twinge of tenderness and leaned up to press soft kisses over them. She smiled when they smooth out and bit and she was enfolded in strong arms.
Oh, this was definitely worth it. This was worth anything.
* * *
Buffy woke up in paradise, Spike curled around her like a blanket. She shifted a bit and he automatically pulled her in closer. She could tell he was still asleep so she rolled over in his arms and kissed him under the chin and along his throat.
A soft rumbling noise started in his chest and Buffy's insides melted into mush. Vampires purred! No one had ever told her that. Angel had never purred.
She lay there and enjoyed the sound for a few minutes thinking that she definitely had to make it happen like, every day from now on. She shifted in his arms and he let out a whimpering snuffling noise and Buffy didn't think she could take much more. It was too much. One more thing and she would just explode in affection. Or start to cry or something, anyway.
She examined his lips because she really wanted to kiss them. They looked soft and vulnerable, the lower one stuck out a bit giving him a pouting look. As she was examining his lips, his eyes opening slowly and Buffy nearly jumped out of her skin.
“Hey,” she whispered softly.
Spike licked the previously mentioned lips and Buffy fought the urge to moan, “Hey.”
They stared at each other, the seconds rolling by unnoticed. Why have I never noticed how blue his eyes are? Buffy scolded her own lack of observation, I mean; I noticed they're blue but not that blue. They were a color all his own. There was no shade of blue like that in Buffy's world before he came into it. Buffy made a mental note to name the color herself.
All at once, Xander let out a loud snore, followed by a sharp wheeze from Anya and Buffy had to fight from dissolving into laughter.
Spike eyes crinkled in mirth and pressed his forehead against hers, Buffy caught her breath, “We should get up so we don't wake them. I think Willow and Tara are cooking breakfast.”
They carefully got to there feet and tried to move off the mattresses without jarring them too much.
As they were walking to the kitchen, Buffy actually saw the moment Spike remembered the events of the day before. His whole face fell and Buffy's stomach twisted, she reached out and took his hand, entwining his fingers with hers. This time it seemed to distract him a bit and he smiled softly over at her.
They entered the kitchen to discover a spread the Waldorf-Astoria would be proud of. Tara and Willow had gone hog wild making everything they could think of for breakfast. There were chocolate chip pancakes, Belgian waffles complete with berries and whipped cream, scrambled eggs and sausage, bacon and hash browns, smoked salmon and cream cheese on bagels. There was a big bowl of fruit salad and what looked like four or five different kinds of tea steeping on the table.
Buffy stared at it all, slack-jawed until Willow noticed them and squealed, “Oooh, goody your up. I'll go wake Anya and Xander.” And then dashed from the room.
Tara smiled up at them from where she was arranging flowers on the table, “So we may have gotten a little carried away.”
Spike laughed, “You think? I haven't seen anything like this since-“ Spike cut himself off and Tara and Buffy knew what he had been about to say was not a G-rated little story.
And they let it go.
* * *
The sun was high and warm when the group arrived at the beach and Buffy was all excited about finally being involved in Spike's major hobby. She was determined to be Supporto-Girlfriend and not a) embarrass him by being so horrible at it he wouldn't want her on the waves at the same time he was and b) out do him to the point where he felt the same as a).
She needn't have worried. Spike was born to surf and she did just fine. And promptly discovered that if Slaying hadn't been her calling, she most certainly would have tried professional surfing.
The sun was hot, the water was cool, and she was getting a killer workout and a perfect tan. It was a match made in heaven. I need to get my own board, she thought, even Xander has his own. Not that Spike's wasn't wicked cool, but it wasn't exactly a Buffy design.
Spike sat on the cool, wet sand and watched Buffy go to town on his favorite thing. He thought a bit about Julia and how this was where he should really be if he were showing respect to her memory. She wouldn't want him to stay home and mourn; she would want him out here doing this. She loved it here and that's where she would be if she were still alive.
He wondered if, in heaven where she was, she could choose what she would do for eternity. He was convinced that she'd be catching perfect waves on that pretty blue and purple board she'd had forever. His breath hitched at the thought, but it was a happy hitch.
He watched Buffy some more and winced when she was less than careful with his baby. He made a mental note to stop off at the surf shop on their way home and buy her a board of her very own. It could be an early Christmas present if she asked.
Really, part of him just wanted to buy her something.
But she said she liked him back, so maybe that was O.K.
It was confusing and sometimes he felt like an awkward teenager, but it was a nice feeling sometimes. He smiled and waved at Buffy who was telling him to watch.
Yeah, it was a great feeling.
* * *
|
