Thanks as always to Tam for the incredible support and help she gives with each and every chapter! *hugs*
Chapter 5 ~ I Only Have Eyes for You
"You called me." Buffy’s shocked voice echoed in the library.
The vampire’s bemused chuckle sounded over the line. "Yeah, so?"
The slayer frowned deeply. "I don't know. It's just weird. Demon’s doing something as ordinary as making a phone call."
Snorting loudly he replied, "You don't think the phone can be used for evil? Look at telemarketers, now that’s evil."
"It just seems so...un-evil. Like demons are just sitting around calling each other saying, ‘What did you do tonight?’ ‘Oh made some calls to some old friends. What about you?’ ‘Oh, just tried to find a new long distance provider, these out of town calls are killer on my phone bill.’ It just sounds kinda lame if you ask me."
“Has anyone ever told you you’re really strange, pet?” he leaned on the pay phone, one hand propped above his head in a casual stance.
“Um, just about every other day. It’s the curse of teenager’s life and the Slayer calling being un-mixy.” She forced herself to stop twirling the phone cord, realizing she looked like a boy had called her to ask her out. She blushed and was immediately disgusted that he could bring about a response from her when he wasn’t even in the room. “So, did you call me for a reason or just to girl talk?”
“Oh, ha bloody ha, Slayer. Just wanted to let you know Angelus is moving operations. He’s decided that we need to relocate to more accommodating surroundings. There’s an old mansion over on Crawford Street, He’s got the minions packing everything up as we speak. They’re moving everything slowly, trying not to draw attention. It will probably take several days at least.”
“Okay, any chance of thinning out the minions?” she tried to force her mind back on business and not the way his voice rumbled sexily in her ear.
“Maybe, but you need to be careful. They’re traveling in pairs at least, sometimes more.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet. I’m so touched you care.” Her own saccharinely sweet voice was almost too much to stomach, but she was satisfied when she could hear his teeth grinding on the other end of the line.
He growled through clenched teeth, “Just don’t get yourself killed, alright? Angelus wouldn’t be moving us if he wasn’t getting ready to stage his big coup.”
“Fine, so when do you think you’ll be able to get away again?” She told herself that she just wanted to know so there would be no unexpected surprises, but that stubborn little voice inside that refused to be quiet whispered that she had missed the blond vampire the last few days.
It helped having someone around that she didn’t have to pretend that things were okay with or to act more confident in her ability to take down Angelus than she actually was. To snark and to tease or just let her be quiet. All things that she lacked in her tense relationships with her friends at this point.
Willow was continually trying to reassure her that things would turn out alright, while Xander insisted on taking every opportunity to say something negative about Angelus and vampires in general. She was sure he felt threatened by Spikes new role, but she really didn’t have the strength left to care. Giles seemed to be constantly watching her, as if waiting for her to stand up and declare she was ready to kill her first love, the first person she had been intimate with. The vampire who, had it not been for her, wouldn’t not be running around sans soul.
“Pet? Are you still there?”
She shook herself out of her inner musings when she realized he was speaking to her again. “Sorry, what did you say?”
“I said it will be a few days before I can slip out again. With all the minions running around and carting stuff out, I can’t take a chance of them seeing me leave or they might come in to move my stuff and notice me gone.”
“Oh okay,” she replied trying to hide her disappointment, but knowing he always read her too well.
“Don’t worry kitten, maybe I can come around soon to tuck you in bed nice and tight.” His chuckle was the last thing she heard before the dial tone sounded loud in her ear.
She dropped the phone on the cradle as she brought her head heavily on the library counter, moaning when it hit with more force than she intended.
*****
From his vantage point, Spike could see both of the figures arguing in hallway. Their loud voices rang through the corridor, but neither of them was making much sense. He had seen Angelus leaving the factory as he was sneaking out. He had paused indecisively before following him at a safe distance.
The brunette never strayed from his path. His determination to get wherever it was he was going worked in the younger vamps favor. He was sure that if the poof hadn’t been so distracted, he would have been discovered.
When they stopped at the school the blond vampire hadn’t been surprised about the wasps circling the building. One of the minions had laughed about the events that had caused the evacuation of the school. He was surprised, however, when the stinging buggers had parted to allow the great git entrance. The blond had snorted in disgust and followed as close behind as he dared. That’s all I need, he thought. The poof running around saying he’s the bloody Moses of the demon world.
Spike was shaken from his musing’s when he heard Buffy yell, “don’t walk away from me...bitch!” Looking up, he could see she had drawn a gun. What the buggering hell is going on around here?
They ran down the hallway away from him and he followed cautiously, not wanting to blow his cover this late in the game. He could see that Angelus had stopped next to the balcony. He could hear him trying to reason with the little blond, but Spike had a feeling it wasn’t them in the drivers seats.
Buffy started screaming again and Spike decided, cover or not, something had to be done. He moved forward only to stop in shock when the gun fired. He watched Angelus topple over the railing, cringing when he heard him land on the floor below. He slid gingerly around the slayer, not wanting to startle her and chance getting shot, and glanced down at the base of the stairs. There next to the last step lay Angelus.
He turned to find the slayer gone and followed her scent into the music room just as she was turning on a record, the gun still clutched in her hand.
“Buffy?” he called softly. “Kitten?”
He caught the signature of his grandsire moving closer and slipped back into the room behind a cabinet. He hoped that whatever had the poof’s body was still in control, or else he’d be found out for sure.
Spike was forced to watch as the two shared a tender moment, complete with heartbreakingly sappy music playing in the background. He turned his head away in disgust as they kissed, clinging tightly to each other. He swung around in time to see the light show that swirled above their heads and quickly disappeared.
He waited anxiously to see what would happen next. At the slightest hint that the slayer was in trouble, he would step in. He hoped that it wouldn’t be necessary. He had worked too hard to conceal his regained ability to walk and his subsequent alliance with the slayer. It would be a shame to have to give up the plan now, but a dead slayer would be of no use to him.
The blonde vampire pushed down the feelings of remorse that he felt for the young girl. He was developing feelings for the chit that no self respecting vampire should ever feel for a slayer. He had tried his best to ignore the longings he felt to be near her, the intense need to comfort her in her misery. He would fulfill his end of the bargain, grab Dru, and get the hell out of Dodge before things got any worse.
Hatred swelled swift and fierce within him as he watched the bastard push her away before growling and storming off. Angelus must have been very distracted not to notice him in the room, but Spike guessed that spirit possession might do that to a bloke. He was no doubt on his way back to Dru to work off his frustrations; it had become the git’s favorite new pastime.
She stood there in shock, tears streaming down her face. Spike wanted nothing more than to grab the dark vampire and tear his head off for hurting the girl once again, but she was in no shape to offer any assistance and he knew he was still no match for Angelus when he had been existing on bagged blood to heal his wounded body.
He waited until he was sure the other vampire had left before stepping away from the cabinet. “Are you alright, pet?”
She jumped at the sound of his voice, “H-how long have you been here?” she asked sniffling as she wiped the tears from her cheeks.
“Long enough. That was some show the two of you put on." Moving slowly so as not to startle her further, he rested his hands on her upper arms and rubbed softly. "Are you okay?”
“I’m fine!” she answered harshly.
He dropped his hands immediately and backed away a step. “Oh, okay. Sorry”
Shooting him an incredulous look, she cried out, “no, I’m not okay! I am so far from okay; it might as well be on another planet.”
“Bloody hell, Slayer, I’m just trying to help. Don’t take your anger at the poof out on me.”
“Well, what if I don’t want your help?”
“You know what? Fine! I don’t need this.” He stormed to the doors only to be stopped by a single word.
“Don’t.” she spoke quietly and the vampire was sure without his enhanced hearing he would have missed it. “Please, don’t go.”
He turned his head to look back at her defeated form. Her head was lowered and her arms crossed, wrapping around her body as if to hold herself together. He growled inwardly. Bloody ponce. Just give it up, you know you’re gonna go back. His shoulders dropped in defeat and he walked back to stand in front of her once more.
“Why am I staying again?”
“Because you like being around someone more pathetic than yourself?” she asked, trying to hide her hurt with mockery.
Sighing heavily he grabbed two chairs and turned them around, pushing one close to her before settling in the other. “You’re not pathetic, pet. Angelus is just a nasty piece of work who likes getting off on others pain.”
“Just for a second, I thought he was back, you know? He was kissing me and just for a second, I thought this was all just a nightmare. Then he looked at me and his eyes—” she paused to shudder. “His eyes were so filled with hate. I’ve never had anyone look at me that way before.”
“It’s because he felt it, too. What you felt with the spirits, I didn’t catch it all, but I caught enough to know their story didn’t end with happily ever after. The emotions and the love, even though it ended horribly, were still there and he got to feel that first hand. I imagine it made him feel a bit like he had a soul again. You can bet he was more disgusted with that than he was about you and the kissing.”
She gave him an assessing look, trying to gauge if he was being sincere. “Are you just saying that because you really believe it, or are you just trying to make me feel better?”
Giving her a small grin, he replied, “depends. Are you feeling better?”
“Yeah, a little.” She couldn’t resist his that smile or the cute tilt of his head that accompanied it and found herself returning it.
Spike chuckled. “Then I’d have to say both.” His eyes crinkled in the corners as his smile grew and she couldn’t help but notice how young and attractive he was. Of course, she had been aware of that even when he was trying to kill her.
“How old were you when you were turned?” she asked abruptly.
“Twenty-seven. Why do you ask?”
“You seem much younger when you smile like that.”
“Would it get me a stake to the heart to say you do, too? You carry the world on your shoulders most of the time, Buffy. You need to let some of that go once in a while and realize that you can’t do it all. You need to think more about what you do accomplish than what you don’t. You’ll be a much happier person.” He noticed her frowning once again. “What’s wrong?”
“You called me Buffy.”
“Yeah?”
“You don’t call me that very often. It sounds different when you say it.”
“Different how?”
Oh, God, that head tilt again, and doesn’t he look so yummy when he does that, Buffy thought, her heart jolting pleasantly.
“Just…different.” She blushed under his scrutiny, “Sorry, it’s just been a fairly wiggy night and I’m still a little disoriented. It’s probably the vertigo talking.”
“Come on, kitten; I’ll walk you home. I’m sure Angelus is locked away scrubbing all the emotional cooties off right about now. It’ll take a while since he has to get through the ego layer first.”
“Thank you, for what you said, it really helped.” She was embarrassed when her eyes filled with tears once more, spilling out onto her cheeks. “I’m sorry. You must think I’m just a big baby. I just can’t seem to stop being all weepy girl tonight.”
He felt for her, knowing the emotional roller coaster that she had to have experienced through the ghostly encounter must have been horrible on top of her already tattered heart. Her tears moved him and before he realized what he had done, his arms wrapped around her, pulling her against his chest and stroking her hair in a soothing rhythm.
Spike’s unexpected gesture of comfort caused an overwhelming wave of grief to flow out. Her great sobs and rush of tears soaked the front of his shirt and still he stroked her hair and whispered words of reassurance and sympathy in her ear.
You’ll get through this. You’ll survive this heartbreak. You’re strong. You will not let this break you. His soft words went on and on, causing a feeling of warmth to spark inside, a feeling that had been nearly snuffed out so many weeks before. Her sobs quieted and her tears slowed.
Buffy raised her head, intending to give him a smile of thanks, but she was instantly mesmerized by the emotion and caring in his clear blue eyes. Slowly moving as one, they closed the gap between them, their lips brushing softly together in a tentative caress.
She shivered as his tongue swept across her lips, asking for entrance. She opened her mouth to accept him and the kiss deepened as he pulled her body impossibly closer, his hard erection pressing against her.
She brought her hand up to tangle in his slicked back hair, feeling the gelled down curls soften under her probing fingers. His hands lowered to her waist, his fingers clutching so hard they were sure to leave bruises.
Both groaned, fighting a sense of loss when they separated and rested their foreheads together while they struggled for a semblance of control. Finally, Buffy she thought she might be able to pull off an intelligent statement.
“What are we doing?” she gasped.
Okay, maybe not.
“Thought that was obvious, kitten.” He began to rub his hands in small circles at the curve of her ass, not showing any desire to move away.
She bit back the moan of pleasure that his skilled hands brought forth. “I mean…I know what we’re doing, but why are we doing it?” Closing her eyes she tilted her head to the side, lost in the feel of his strong embrace.
The vampire couldn’t resist the unspoken invitation and lowered his head to nibble at her neck, sucking softly before using his tongue to trace along her pulse. He nipped slightly, pleased when she shuddered but didn’t pull away.
“I don’t know. You just felt so good in my arms, I couldn’t resist. I had to taste you,” he murmured his lips still sliding along her skin.
Buffy shivered; the longing behind the words more intense than she had ever heard. Never, even with all her heavy petting with Angel, had she heard such need. It made her feel sexy and wanton. It made her feel like a woman instead of the inexperienced girl that the brooding vamp had always made her feel like. All in all, it was a heady experience.
“B-but you love Drusilla.” She wanted to kick herself for speaking when she felt him pull away. His eyes burned her with his look, his desire, his need, all lay bare in his gaze.
“And you still love Angel,” he replied, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Right, I still love Angel,” she answered hoping her voice sounded more assured to him than it did to her.
Spike reached out brush her hair back, dragging his thumb along the side of her face and across her swollen lips. “Guess we should be heading out then.”
She moaned as his digit ran along her sensitive skin. “Yeah, um, like you said; Angelus is busy. I’m feeling better now, so you don’t need to walk me home. We shouldn’t take the chance on being seen together.” She fought back the urge to step back into his arms and let the world melt away with his kisses.
“Are you sure?” He was hesitant to leave her, his reasoning having very little to do with her safety.
“Yeah, I’m sure. Thank you for, you know, the comfort and stuff.” She blushed under his smirky grin.
“My pleasure, pet,” he chuckled grabbing her hand and walking toward the door.
They walked out of the room slowly, both reluctant to part ways. Stopping when they reached the stairs they stared at each other for a long moment before he raised her hand to his mouth, his lips moving in an unhurried caress.
“So I guess I’ll see you when I see you then?” he asked, knowing that they had changed something that night with their kisses. Deep down, he knew that this night had changed something monumental, but he was unsure how it would play out in the upcoming confrontation.
“Yeah, if you get some news or anything you can call, o-or come by, whatever works best.” She squeezed his hand tightly before taking a step back. Her chest tightened when he began his descent down the steps. She thought her heart would stop when he paused on the middle landing to look back up at her.
“By the way, I know what the great git told you. The bit about not being able to hold the attentions of a man? I just want you to know its all complete bollocks. You’re bloody amazing, Summers.” The vampire grinned at her flushed but pleased face and started down the stairs once again.
Buffy leaned on the railing. “Hey Spike,” she called. When he turned back, she gave him her own version of his cocky grin. “You might want to take care of that before you go back.” Flicking her hand in his direction, she watched as he looked down at where her finger was pointed at his crotch. “You don’t want Angelus to think you’re too happy to see him.”
She laughed when she heard his muffled ‘bloody hell’ as he stumbled down the last few steps and out of sight.
I finally got the last word! she thought gleefully.
TBC...
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