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| Carefully Everywhere Descending - Modern Living by Dark Eyed Seer (11 Reviews) | | abc + + + |  | | | Buffy licked her lips and Spike mimicked her unconsciously. A flash of metal caught Buffy attention immediately and she realized he must have had his tongue pierced. Her eyes flicked to Will, suddenly wanting to know if he had the same.
Spike cleared his throat, 'Uh, you started the speech well, pet. But you usually have to finish it to get the point across.
Right. Crap. Fixing the misunderstanding. No time for weird body modification obsession.
“Um, right. You missed the whole part where I was telling Giles off. And Willow too. She went to town. She uses bigger words, that's always more effective. We don't think the way they do, I promise.” Buffy shifted, she could feel their skins occasionally brushed against hers in the close proximity. It licked like fire.
She looked at Will, “I promise I'm never going to hurt Spike. Or you. We don't have to be enemies.”
Will flushed and looked away, pressing tight against his brother. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but in front of her. Buffy was briefly confused because he had spoken so forcefully in the library she had forgotten he hadn't even been able to greet her when they first met.
Now that his anger had faded, he had nothing fueling his courage. She felt strangely cruel, putting him on the spot suddenly. But Spike had already picked up the slack.
“Nice to know. We won't cause any trouble unless we have to. We're definitely not staying with the Watcher, though, so we may be leaving town. That kind of makes this all null and void anyway.” Spike gave her a smirk that was quite friendly and a bit apologetic.
“Leave? You just got here.” Buffy felt hollow all of a sudden. She had gotten used to them in such a short period of time. She gotten used to the idea of them anyway. The idea that she wasn't alone anymore, that there were two other people who had to fight the good fight beside her.
“Well, he's made his opinion clear.” Spike remarked and Buffy realized that must have been what Will said about it, it sounded more like him, “We don't want anything to do with the council anymore. We've been thinking about this for a while, its time for a clean break. If you knew half of what we do, you'd do the same.”
Buffy blinked, “I guess that's fair. But just because you're leaving the council doesn't mean you have to leave me-er, Sunnydale.”
Spike smiled a genuine smile, “I was sort of getting used to it. I know we got off to a rocky start. If you hadn't noticed, my mouth tends to do that. Set people the wrong way, I mean.”
“Where are you going to go? I can find you a place to stay here.” Buffy said the last part impulsively. She realized how much she wanted them to stay. There had to be somewhere. She did understand them not wanting to stay with Giles under the circumstances. She wasn't all that sure she wanted to know Giles right now.
“Really? Where?”
* * *
Buffy helped them with their things. Luckily, they hadn't had time to unpack. She set them down on the porch of 1630 Revello Drive and steeled herself for the conversation ahead.
“O.K, just sit tight. I'll talk her into it.” Buffy had a feeling she wouldn't be able to talk her mother into anything. That's when she bring out the trump card.
“Mom? How was the gallery today?”
* * *
“Out of the question! Buffy, do you realize what you're asking? You want to bring two complete strangers into my house. Worse than complete strangers, teenagers who can't pay rent or room and board.” Joyce put her mug down hard on the table in disbelief.
“O.K, I guess I'll tell them then. Come on in guys, she said no.” Buffy opened the door, stifling a smile. She knew they had heard every word and would look it.
They did. Long faced and sad eyed they picked up their suitcases.
Joyce sort of froze at the sight of them, blinking rapidly.
“Thanks anyway, Mrs. Summers. We're going to be all right. It was kind of a daft thing to do, asking you and all.” Spike gave her a polite, strained smile, still making an effort to charm. She was a lady after all.
Will just looked at his feet.
“I guess you can sleep in the park.” Buffy suggested winsomely, “It's not too bad, I'll lend you my pepper spray.”
“Wait! Buffy, can I talk to you for a minute.” Joyce drew her aside.
* * *
“I'm sorry we only have the one bed.” Joyce started opening windows in the guest room to air it out, “We hadn't ever really planned on using the room.”
“It's fine, Mrs. Summers. I don't know how to thank you for all this.” Spike shifted uncomfortably. He had no idea how to deal with a mother, never having had one. He decided it was probably best to be formal so he wouldn't embarrass himself and his brother by association.
“It's quite all right, Spike. Is 'Spike' really your name?”
“Um, no. It's just a nickname. You can call me Jamie, or James, if you want.” Spike felt his brother start in surprise next to him. Will was shocked Spike would let anyone call him that. And he also privately remarked to Spike later that a woman who had named her child 'Buffy' had nothing o say to anyone.
“If you prefer Spike, that's what I'll call you. I'll just get used to it.” Joyce smiled brightly. They were adorable.
She began opening the first duffle bag, “I'll help you unpack. I'm doing some laundry. We can just throw yours in.”
Neither boy raised a protest, so Joyce opened the top dresser drawer and started carefully arranging socks. The boys opened another duffle and sorted through.
Joyce stopped on the second pair of black socks. Good lord, they all had holes, every last one. She moved on to the underwear and felt like crying. They were all of them faded and old. Nothing screamed a lack of maternal care quite so much as this did to her.
She glanced over at the twins but they didn't look up to see her distress, each busy folding clothes in various states of age and disrepair. She would need to do something about this.
* * *
Buffy was in her room, trying not to think about the hotties moving into the room next door. She was still fixed on Spike's tongue and wanted a better look. She was desperate to know if Will had the same.
She cursed herself more than once that evening to being so focused on things so ridiculous while the boys in question were facing a big dilemma, like where they were going to live.
She had already explained the fact that her mother didn't know about her daughter's nocturnal life. She knew the twins were accustomed to being very open about their duties, always having lived with council members, so it might be difficult to suddenly have to clam up about it all.
Well, Buffy thought, at least I know Will certainly won't be letting anything slip. She smiled and then felt horribly mean. It wasn't his fault and he obviously was having a really hard time.
She wished he would talk to her like he talked to Spike. They were so close, she felt like an outsider when she was with them. They exchanged little glanced and once Will had leaned over and whispered something when they were walking to the house. They thought she didn't notice, but she had.
Buffy sighed, and why did I think this was a good idea, again? She thought moodily, I haven't managed a real conversation with Spike that didn't involve hurt feelings and Will doesn't talk at all.
And I'm nice and obsessed with them.
And now they've just moved in. Which means I'll see them at school because they're in all my classes. I'll be with them on patrol because they're involved in all the Slaying things. And now I even get to live with them.
Buffy put Mr. Gordo over her eyes and flopped back on the bed dramatically. Well, at least this should be interesting.
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