destructo-girl.com

"False Pretenses"

Author: Ashlee and Allison
Contact: ashlee_999@hotmail.com
Author's Notes: Okay, guys, here's a new story. I have been so busy lately that my friend Allison (who is an awesome writer) was generous enough to co-write this with me. Our writing styles are very similar, so you (hopefully) won't even notice. This story has a lot of UST, so if you don't like that you might want to wait and read it when it's finished. Please leave lots and lots of reviews!

Misunderstanding

Spike followed the blonde into the apartment, admiring her as she walked.

"All hardwood floors, kitchen to the left…obviously," she said with a sheepish grin, since the huge apartment was essentially one large, open area. "Living room or area, more accurately," she continued, pointing straight ahead. "Office."

Spike turned to the right and saw the bookshelves, desk and computer sitting in an alcove that constituted an office.

"Loft is up those stairs," she said, pointing to the spiral staircase next to the alcove. "That's my room up there. Extra bedroom is down the hall, this way," she continued, leading him to the back right corner of the apartment and down a short hall to a large bedroom filled with boxes.

She turned to him with a smile. "The boxes will be moved out. I'm kind of a packrat." Spike smiled as they walked toward the bathroom. "And that's the grand tour. Any questions?"

"Your name, pet?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm Buffy Summers," she said with a light blush tinting her cheeks as she offered her hand.

Spike smiled, taking it and brushing his lips along the top of it, his smile widening as she got visibly flustered and looked away. "And you already know my name."

"Spike," she reaffirmed with a nod.

"It's a nice place," Spike said, looking around as they walked down the hallway to the main room.

"Yeah," Buffy said with a nod. "So do you want it?"

Spike looked at her in surprise. "No applications? No interview?"

Buffy shrugged. "You seem like a nice enough guy. It's not like we have to be best friends. As long as you pay your share of the rent on time and you're not some serial killer, I think we'll be able to co-exist together."

"Alright then," Spike said with a smile. "I'll take it."

"Great!" Buffy said with a bright smile. "You can move in whenever you want. Tonight if you feel like it, and don't worry, I'll have those boxes out of there."

Spike smiled and nodded. "I have something to take care of tonight and then I'll start moving my stuff in."

"Harmony, I'm trying to explain it to you. It's just not working out, it hasn't been for a while."

"Don't be silly, blondie bear. I know you would never break up with me, unless you had a good reason."

"I would think 'not wanting to be together' constitutes a good reason."

"Now, Spikey, you're just being testy. Have a drink, and then we'll talk about what's really bothering you."

Spike sighed, rolling his eyes upward as he tightened his jaw. Looking around the restaurant, he finally got up to walk to the bar, clenching and unclenching his fists as he walked.

"Bourbon," he said to the bartender who nodded and walked away.

"Rough night?"

Spike turned to the owner of the voice, his eyes lighting up when he saw Buffy sitting there, giving him a friendly smile.

"You could say that," he replied with a smile. "You meeting someone, pet?" Spike asked, silently thanking the bartender for taking so long with his drink.

"I was meeting my friend, but she called me a minute ago and said she couldn't make it. Would you…like to join me?"

"I would, but I've got a little bit of unfinished business," he replied, looking across the restaurant to see Harmony complaining to the waiter about what she ordered. "Rain check?"

Buffy followed his gaze, seeing the blonde at the table. "Maybe that's not the best idea."

Spike's eyes widened. "Oh no, we're not together," he said, shaking his head as he gestured to the table behind him. "Well, not from my perspective anyway. She seems to have different ideas."

Buffy smiled. "And why are you not together?"

"She's not my type," he said with a shrug as he was handed his drink. "Listen…if you're still here after I…wrap this up, maybe we could get to know each other better."

"Umm, I'm not really-"

"Not that way," he said with a smile. "I was strictly talking in the getting to know each other as new roommates. Nothing else."

'For now,' Spike thought.

"I guess we'll have to see if I'm still here," she said with a flirty smile.

Twenty minutes later, Spike was still trying to convince Harmony that it was over (and rapidly holding himself back from banging his head against the table).

"Spikey, the only way a man would consciously decide to leave me is if he was gay."

'What harm can it do?' Spike thought to himself. 'It's not like I'll ever see this bint again.'

"That's me," Spike blurted out before he could think about it much longer.

"Excuse me?"

"That's me…I…I'm…gay."

Harmony's eyes widened. "When did you come out?"

"Fairly short time ago," he said with a sardonic smile.

"Ohhhh," Harmony said with a nod. "It all makes sense now."

Spike's eyes shot up to hers. "What!? What all makes sense now?"

"Oh, nothing. Just a few things fell into place," Harmony said, standing up and grabbing her purse before dropping a kiss on the top of his head. "Don't worry, blondie bear, I'm sure you'll find someone perfect for you."

Spike didn't say anything. He was still trying to figure out what could have possibly fallen into place as Harmony walked away.

Buffy looked up from reapplying her lipstick as the bathroom door opened.

"Men!"

Normally Buffy didn't try and make conversation in the bathroom, but this was the girl who was sitting with Spike, and she seemed distressed about something.

"Is something wrong?" Buffy asked quietly.

"Men!"

"Yeah…I got that part."

"He likes men!"

Buffy's eyes widened. "The guy you're here with?"

"Yeah, he's gay."

'The kiss on the hand, the bleached hair, telling me she wasn't his type, wanting to get to know me, but not in *that* sense. Of course he would be too good to be true.'

"Well," Buffy said with a compassionate look. "There's other guys out there."

"Yep," Harmony agreed. "But he's such a hottie."

Buffy watched her walk into one of the stalls before sighing. "Yeah," she whispered to herself before walking out the door.

Spike sat at the bar, looking up with a smile when he saw Buffy. Intercepting her before she could walk out of the restaurant, he gave her one of his most winning smiles. "I thought you left."

Buffy smiled. 'At least he seems like a nice enough guy.'

"I was just heading out."

"Mind if I join you?" Spike asked, in a hopeful tone. "Maybe I could walk you home…if you're not driving that is."

"I don't know…"

"Come on," Spike said with a smile. "We're going to be living together. And I promise to behave myself."

'Well, that's a given.'

"Sure," Buffy agreed with a smile of her own as Spike led her out of the restaurant.

'Well,' Buffy thought. 'At least you'll get a new friend out of this.'

Moving Day

Buffy figured she should probably get an idea of who Spike was, apart from what the woman he was with had told her before in the bathroom.

'So what if he's gay? They usually tend to be incredibly sweet. And maybe there will even be perks to it. We can go out shopping together, he can help me judge other guys- this might be fun after all,' she thought before frowning. 'Is he going to bring back other guys to the apartment? Uh oh.'

"So, luv, what's your story?" Spike asked, looking at her, trying not to stare too much at the beauty that radiated off of her in waves.

'I get to live with this woman. There really must be a God.'

"Well, I'm 21 and a student at the college here in Sunnydale," she began to explain. "I used to room with my boyfriend, but he and I broke up not too long ago, hence I was in need of a roommate." She looked at him, smiling. "And that's where you come in." Spike couldn't help but smile back at her, silently making a note to thank her ex-boyfriend, if he ever met him, for letting him live with her instead.

"But other than that, there's not too much to my past," she shrugged. "I grew up in Los Angeles and moved here for college three years ago. It's a much nicer place here, I think. I miss home sometimes, but Sunnydale has been good to me."

'It's been good to me, too, since I met you,' he thought, somewhat surprised at how attracted he was to her, after such a short period of time.

"What about you, Spike?" she asked curiously. "What's a guy like you doing in this small town?"

"Well, I got offered a job on a construction crew a couple of weeks ago and decided to go for it," he said. "My friend Xander knew I wanted to move, so I figured why not."

"Why did you want to move, if you don't mind me asking?" Buffy asked hesitantly, not wanting to push too hard for details. She definitely didn't want to scare him away yet, when he hadn't even moved in.

"Dru, my ex," he answered. Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Bad break-up. I couldn't stay."

'Drew? What kind of guy would give up a hottie like Spike?'

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, looking down at the sidewalk as they continued their way back to her apartment. Well, their apartment. "It's not my business."

"I don't mind," he shrugged. "Sounds like we both had bad relationships." Buffy nodded. "So, are you single?" She looked at him.

'See, most girls would think he's flirting with me, but nope, he digs guys. How come the cute ones are always gay? Is that some type of cosmic joke?'

"Yeah, I'm single," she answered. "What about you?" He nodded.

'Good, he shouldn't bring anyone home,' she thought. 'For a while, at least. Hopefully.'

Little did she know that Spike was thinking the exact same thing.

As they reached the front door of her apartment, a slightly awkward silence engulfed them as Spike nervously shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Well, I'll let you go inside," Spike said, looking at her. "What time should I be here to move in tomorrow?"

"Whenever you'd like," Buffy answered. "Here, let me just go inside and get you the extra key." She unlocked the door and went inside, as Spike stood in the doorway, watching her move around.

'I love the way her golden hair bounces. It's…effulgent.'

Buffy briefly gave him a funny look, before waving him inside. "You can come in. It's not like you need an invitation."

"Huh?" he asked, breaking out of his daze. "Oh, right. Sorry," he replied before taking a couple of steps in.

She walked over to him with the key in her hand, giving it to him. He smiled, his fingers brushing against hers lightly before they pulled away and Spike put it on his key ring.

"How about around nine?" he asked. "I can bring us breakfast." She smiled.

'I think I'm going to like this roommate thing. Much more than being with Riley, that's for sure.'

"Nine sounds perfect," she answered, walking with him towards the door. "I can help you unpack."

"I'm sure you have better things to do than to help me unload my stuff," he smiled, stopping at the door.

"Nonsense," she replied, smiling back at him. He looked into her eyes.

'Heaven help me. I could get lost in those eyes. The way they sparkle when she smiles is enough to do me in,' he thought, pausing. 'But what a glorious demise.'

"We'll see how you feel when you see how much I'm moving," Spike said, opening the door again. "Well, I'll see you in the morning then. Good night, Buffy," he said softly, leaning forward slightly, before stopping himself from kissing any part of her face, deciding that he didn't want to scare her off.

Spike backed away, toward the door, as he warned himself, not wanting to ruin a good thing when it was practically hitting him in the face.

"Good night, Spike," she said, smiling softly. "Good luck packing." He nodded and walked away, leaving. She went back inside her apartment and locked the door behind her before leaning back against it.

'He must be gay. He didn't even try to kiss me on the cheek. After we shared what could've been considered a moment,' she thought, sighing. 'Or he's just being a gentleman. Oh, who are you kidding, Buffy? He's gay, and there's nothing you can do about that. You can't just change someone's orientation.'

She walked towards her room and sat on her bed, looking through the window at the town that surrounded her.

"I'm rooming with a gay, Billy Idol wannabe," she said quietly, shaking her head in disbelief.

'Too bad Riley's not around to see this. He wouldn't believe it.' She hesitated. 'Even I don't believe it.'

Buffy opened the door the next morning with a bright smile on her face. Spike involuntarily swallowed as he took in her cut-offs and midriff baring tank top. He felt a twinge of arousal as she opened the door wide to let him enter.

"Good morning," she said in a bright mood, tilting her head and letting her long blonde ponytail swish around her shoulders.

"Morning, luv," he said in a husky whisper before clearing his throat and holding up a bag of food, trying to get his mind off of other things. "Breakfast."

"Great!" Buffy said, practically bouncing toward the kitchen as she pulled out glasses, plates, and orange juice to set on the table. Spike had to suppress a groan as she reached upward onto the tallest shelf to get the glasses. He could have offered to help, obviously being the taller of the two, but then he wouldn't get to admire how her shirt slid up her torso, showing off her toned stomach.

"Did you get all packed?" she asked, glancing at him as she began to pour two tall glasses of juice.

"Uh, yeah," he replied, forcing himself to snap back to the present and stare at her eyes as he sat down at the table. "My friend Xander came over and helped me load it all this morning."

"You didn't have to work?" Buffy asked, sitting down next to him.

"Not until tomorrow. Xand wanted to give me some time to settle in."

"That's nice," Buffy said with a soft smile, wondering if there was more to this friendship with Xander than he was letting on about. She decided now wasn't the time to ask.

Spike pulled out several breakfast sandwiches and hashbrowns as Buffy raised an eyebrow at him. Spike saw her look and glanced down at the four sandwiches on the table. "Sorry," he said with a smile. "I didn't know what you would like, so I just ordered a variety."

Buffy shrugged before reaching across the table and grabbing two of the sandwiches. "No problem," she said, unwrapping one and taking a huge bite out of it before seeing Spike's look. "I'm not picky about what I eat," she said, swallowing the mouthful. "And I have a big appetite."

"Good to know," Spike said with a grin before unwrapping his own sandwich. "Now I know to label all my food," he continued, laughing when Buffy threw her discarded wrapper at him.

Spike and Buffy spent a leisurely hour unloading the boxes from the truck Spike rented. Neither in a hurry, since Buffy didn't have class that day and Spike wouldn't be working. When all of the boxes were successfully stored in his room, he met Buffy out at the truck and smiled as she sat on the edge, kicking her feet like a little girl.

He glanced in the truck, seeing only the furniture left. "Thanks for the help, luv."

"We're not finished yet," she said, hopping up from her seat and boosting herself into the truck before walking over to the couch that would be going in his room.

"Don't worry about it," Spike said, shaking his head. "I'll have someone come over and help me tonight."

"It's really no problem," she said with a smile, waiting for him to climb into the truck.

"It's okay," Spike said, waving his hand in dismissal. "I don't want you getting hurt."

Spike realized his poor choice of words a moment too late. "So you think a girl will get hurt, just because she's a girl?"

"No, that's not what I meant," Spike backtracked. "It's just…well…I…I have this bad tendency of sticking my foot in my mouth."

Buffy smiled at his explanation but wasn't about to back down. "Get your ass in the truck, bleach boy."

Spike chuckled, hopping into the truck and walking over to his side of the couch. "If you need a break, let me know."

Buffy raised an eyebrow before lifting her end of the couch before Spike even had a grip on his. She led them down the small ramp and into the building, never once saying a word or complaining- although Spike did come close several times.

Finally reaching the apartment, they set the couch down against one wall in his bedroom before Buffy turned those wide green eyes on him. "Ready to get the bed?"

Spike looked at her in disbelief. "What are you? Wonder Woman?"

Buffy giggled, skipping out of the room as Spike trudged behind her.

Two hours later, Buffy was lying on Spike's bed, lazily flipping through a magazine as Spike unpacked his things. He was happy she seemed so content to spend time with him, and she already appeared to be comfortable in his presence. Something about that gave Spike a warm feeling.

"So what's your major, pet?" he asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

"Art," Buffy said, looking into his eyes and noticing how blue they were.

"An artist. Well, I'm impressed," Spike replied, throwing a winning smirk her way and smiling when she blushed. "I thought most artists like to showcase their work. Where's yours?"

"My room," she said, gesturing to the ceiling. "I didn't think it would be fair to subject my new roommate to my finger-paintings."

"I hardly think they're finger-paintings if it's your major."

Buffy shrugged, turning her attention back to her magazine as Spike stood up. "Well, I think I'm going to hit the showers."

Buffy felt her mouth go dry at the thought of him standing under a cascade of hot water, droplets flowing down his skin, steam rising up around him…

'Stop it, Buffy!' she inwardly yelled at herself, standing up.

"I'll go make us some lunch."

"Good idea," Spike said with a smile as he stripped off his soaked t-shirt.

Buffy felt all the air leave her body as she looked at the exposed muscles of his chest, letting her gaze travel downward to his chiseled abs, licking her lips before backing toward the door, wringing her hands together as she walked. "Yeah…I'll just go and-"

Buffy stopped as she ran into the door. Pushing it open, she gave Spike a small, embarrassed smile. "I'll just go…enjoy your shower."

Spike smiled as she left the room. 'She's checking you out, that's the first step.'

Buffy smacked her head repeatedly against the palm of her hand. 'Stupid Buffy! Don't go ogling your roommate. Especially when there's no possibility of anything happening with him!'

Quality Time

After they finished eating lunch, Buffy cleared away their dishes, taking them to the sink.

'She wasn't kidding about having a big appetite. For being so petite, she sure can pack it away. But she still has the body of a goddess,' Spike thought, smiling.

They both heard a knock on the door, as Spike went over and opened it. A blonde man not much younger than him was standing there, unabashedly staring up and down Spike's body.

'Who the bloody hell is this?' he thought, feeling uncomfortable at the scrutiny. 'He's not dating Buffy, right? I'd hope not, because I think this bloke might be gay.'

"Hi, Andrew," Buffy said, approaching the two men. She couldn't help but giggle when she saw how Andrew was appraising Spike.

'It would be funny if they hooked up. Although, I think Andrew might be too much of a nerd for Spike.' She paused. 'What exactly is Spike's type? A sophisticated kind of guy? But didn't he say that his friend Xander was in construction? So maybe a muscular guy?' She mentally chided herself. 'Stop it, Buffy. You shouldn't be thinking like this.'

"Hey, Buffy," Andrew said, tearing his eyes off of Spike for a second to look at her before returning his gaze to Spike. "And who are you?"

"Spike," he said, extending a hand. Andrew shook it, but when he didn't seem like he was going to let go, Spike pulled it back and shoved both of his hands in his pockets. Buffy bit her lip to keep from laughing.

'I think this is going to be quite a nice living situation. Andrew can stalk Spike, and I can continue to ogle him, knowing that I'll never have him,' she thought before frowning. 'Besides, you don't need a relationship right now. Not so soon after Riley.' She paused again. 'Or maybe that's exactly what you need.'

"I've got some stuff to catch up on," Spike said, looking at Buffy. She nodded, and he quickly walked away to his room, shutting the door behind him.

"That's your new roommate?" Andrew squealed, grinning from ear-to-ear. "He's gorgeous! With a body like that, I bet he has the pectorals of Viggo Mortenson."

'Oh, he really does,' Buffy thought happily. 'But Viggo has nothing on Spike.' She paused. 'Stop that!' she chided herself again.

"So, what can I do for you, Andrew?" Buffy asked, trying to steer the conversation off of Spike.

"I saw you helping someone move in before and wanted to see who it was," Andrew smiled. "And boy, am I happy I did! How come you have such good luck when it comes to finding guys?"

"Au contraire," Buffy replied sadly. "I have horrible luck." She leaned closer to Andrew. "Spike's gay."

"Really?" Andrew shrieked as Buffy nodded. "I thought I caught a vibe there, but I wasn't sure."

'Is Andrew beaming?' Buffy thought, raising an eyebrow. 'Oh dear, he'll be devastated when Spike starts dating someone else.' She frowned. 'So will I. Not that I have a chance, but…Buffy, you really need a man in your life. Of the straight variety.'

"Can you maybe put in a good word for me?" Andrew asked. Buffy hesitantly nodded, trying her best not to laugh at how excited he seemed. "Thanks! You're a peach." He sighed, smiling. "Well, I'm going to head back to the apartment. See you two around." He walked down the hallway to his apartment as Buffy shut her door.

'Time to go talk to Spike,' she thought. 'Hopefully Andrew didn't make him want to move.'

She walked to his room and knocked on the door before opening it, seeing Spike standing in front of his open window, smoking. He looked at her and Buffy finally let herself laugh at what had just happened.

"I don't think it's bleedin' funny," Spike said, flicking the cigarette out of the window.

"Sure it is!" she said, crumbling into hysterics. "He was sizing you up like you were his prey!" She sank to the ground, bowled over laughing, clutching her stomach and letting tears roll down her cheeks. "I wish I would've taped that!" She tried calming down, catching her breath slightly before laughing again. "He compared you…to Viggo Mortenson!" Spike started chuckling before going over to her and helping her up, both of them laughing.

'She's beautiful when she laughs. Drop dead gorgeous.' He smiled. 'She's always like that, though.'

"Sorry," she said, finally composing herself, wiping off her cheeks, looking up at Spike's eyes. She noticed how he was looking back at her and was surprised.

'I don't think I've ever seen a gay man look at me adoringly,' she thought. She cleared her throat and took a slight step back, noticing how Spike broke out of his daze.

"Is he a friend of yours?" Spike asked, sad that she moved away from him a little, before frowning, wondering if she wasn't interested in him.

"Not really," she said before grinning. "He lives just down the hall." Spike frowned, and she started laughing again.

"Just keep on laughing, luv," Spike said sternly, crossing his arms. On the inside, he loved it.

'Any chance to see her be happy like that is fine with me, even if it's at my expense.'

"Well, I'll let you return to whatever it is you 'had to catch up on'," Buffy said, heading for the door, still giggling a little. "I'll be up in my room…Viggo." She broke down laughing again as she left, and he heard her upstairs even a couple of minutes later.

'Yeah, you think it's so funny,' Spike thought with a smile, shaking his head. 'How would you like it if a gay guy was interested in you, pet?'

A few days later, Buffy rubbed her neck in exhaustion as she walked through the front door of her apartment. She had been studying at the library for the past three hours, and she was physically and mentally wiped out from staring at stacks of books and rows of computer screens.

Tossing her keys on the kitchen counter, Buffy smiled when she saw Spike sitting on the couch with a bowl of popcorn. It had been a week since he moved in, and the two had settled into a comfortable relationship, enjoying the opportunity to spend time with each other, instead of going out most nights. Buffy was thankful to have gained not only a roommate, but a man who was turning into a very good friend.

'Plus, when the guy is incredibly hot, that's just a bonus…even if he is off limits.'

"I was beginning to get worried, pet," Spike said, moving over so Buffy had a place to sit down.

"Sorry," Buffy replied, collapsing on the couch next to him and immediately curling herself into a ball and laying her head on his shoulder.

Spike smiled at the tender gesture, slipping his arm around her shoulders as her hand snaked around to grab a handful of popcorn. "Hey," he said with a smile. "Go get your own."

Buffy giggled, deliberately popping the kernels in her mouth before looking to see what he was watching.

"You like 'Friends'?" Buffy asked, turning to look at him.

"One of the only things you bleedin' Yanks have going for you," Spike said good-naturedly, smiling when Buffy smacked him on the chest. "Why? You don't like it?"

"No, I do," Buffy replied, nodding her head before turning her attention back to the TV. "It has its high points, aside from being funny, that is."

"Such as?" Spike asked, eating some more popcorn.

"Well, the whole friends thing for one. All of the meaningful relationships were as a result of strong friendships. I think that's the best way to really be with somebody. You should really get to know the person beforehand- it just seems to have a better result in the end." Spike didn't say anything as Buffy turned to face him. "You don't agree?"

"No, I think you're right," Spike said with a reassuring nod. "But what happens if they break up? They lose the friendship."

"Not necessarily," Buffy argued. "I guess it depends on the break-up and if both want to salvage the relationship. Look at Ross and Rachel. They got together, broke up, got together again, broke up again, got married, got divorced and had a baby."

"You really do like this show," Spike said with a smile.

"It's fun. It's a nice way to unwind at the end of the day."

'Well, if I have to be friends with you for a while, that's fine with me,' he thought. 'As long as no other bloke swoops in and tries to steal you away.'

"Where were you tonight, pet?" Spike asked, deciding to change the subject.

"The library," Buffy replied with a groan, letting her head fall back on the couch. "I swear it's just a modern torture device for college students."

Spike chuckled. "You're probably right." His smile slowly faded as he watched her squeeze her eyes shut as her hand went up to her neck. "You okay?"

"I've been better," Buffy murmured with a sigh.

"On the floor," Spike said, moving to sit up straight.

"What?"

"Get on the floor."

Buffy did as she was told, watching him in confusion. Her face slowly relaxed as his hands began moving along her neck and back, working the stress out of her muscles.

Buffy moaned in pleasure, resting her head on his leg, creating a more intimate setting as Spike fought his growing arousal while still trying to continue his movements.

"You have magic hands," Buffy murmured in a breathy voice.

Spike bit his tongue against any sexual response. Focusing his attention on her, he fought the urge to let his lips brush against the exposed skin of the back of her neck, remembering what she said about being friends first. If that was important to her, then he wasn't about to let the opportunity pass him by.

"You've turned into the best roommate of all time," Buffy said with a smile, leaning her head back to look at Spike upside down.

"Is that right?" Spike replied with a smile, unable to resist as he leaned forward and playfully kissed the tip of her nose.

Buffy giggled at the affectionate side of him, slowly getting to her feet and stretching as Spike suppressed a groan.

She resumed her seat next to Spike, giving him a kiss on the cheek in thanks before grabbing the bowl of popcorn and putting it on her lap.

"Hey!" Spike cried in mock indignation. "I told you to get your own."

"But this is already here," Buffy said with a pout, immediately smiling when Spike grinned at her. "And you do make the best popcorn."

Spike chuckled, unable to resist her. They turned their attention back to the screen as 'Friends' ended, only to be replaced by an episode of 'Will & Grace.'

'Well, isn't this ironic,' Buffy thought with a raised eyebrow. 'Me and my gay roommate, watching a show about a woman and her gay roommate.'

Buffy smiled slightly as she shook her head a little. Spike glanced at her but didn't say anything as the show began.

"This is a good show," Buffy said after a few minutes.

"Yeah," Spike agreed. "But the guy doesn't seem that gay."

"Jack?" Buffy asked in surprise. "He's the stereotype of gayness. Even more so."

"Not Jack, the other one."

"Oh, Will," Buffy said with a nod. "I guess they wanted to have diversity. Not everyone is that open about it, right?" she asked, looking at him.

"I guess not," Spike agreed.

Both looked up after a moment when there was a knock on the door. Buffy got up, walking over to the door. "Who is it?" she asked with her hand on the doorknob.

"It's me."

Buffy began unlocking the door before she heard Spike's voice.

"Who's 'me'?"

"Our own personal Jack," Buffy said, smiling at Spike's confused look. "It's Andrew."

"Bloody hell," Spike muttered.

Author's Note: This chapter has a lot of references to the show 'Will & Grace,' so if you've never seen the show before, we're sorry for any confusion. Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews, keep 'em coming!

'Will & Grace'

"Hello," Buffy said, opening the door to reveal Andrew. Spike sank down on the couch.

'He's going to crash our night, isn't he?' he thought bitterly. 'Bloody ponce.'

"Hey, Buffy," Andrew said, looking around the apartment until he spotted platinum hair poking up from the couch. "Spike! What a surprise." Buffy giggled quietly, watching Andrew head over to Spike.

"Andrew," Spike said, merely nodding in acknowledgement as Buffy walked over to them.

"Would you like a drink, Andrew?" she asked. "Or a refill for you, Spike?"

"I'll have a beer," Spike said, wishing he had something stronger to drink suddenly.

"Me too," Andrew said. Buffy raised an eyebrow and went to the kitchen area.

'I suppose having him here for a little while wouldn't be too bad. I mean, the way he acts around Spike is entertaining," she thought, smiling. "I love watching him squirm.'

She grabbed two beers and a soda for herself before going back to them, dispersing the bottles to the guys. Andrew was sitting on the couch where Buffy had been prior, so she sat on a chair opposite them. Spike frowned, wishing she wouldn't have let Andrew in.

'Can't I just ask him to leave?' he thought, looking at the TV. "But then Buffy would think I'm a jerk. Guess I'm stuck sitting next to him.'

Buffy looked at Spike and smiled at how uncomfortable he appeared. 'This is almost better than the show.'

Spike looked at her and shot her a look, as she looked back at the TV, smirking. He smiled, too, and decided it could really be worse.

"I couldn't ever date a guy like Jack," Andrew suddenly announced. Both blondes looked at him. "I'd rather date someone who isn't too openly gay."

'Right, because you want to be the woman in the relationship,' Spike thought, smiling to himself.

"Someone like Will?" Buffy asked conversationally. Andrew nodded. "I like Will. He seems like a good man."

Andrew smiled, nodding. "He's a lawyer, he dresses nicely, and he can cook," Andrew replied. "What more could you want?"

"A guy who will treat you nicely?" Spike asked. Andrew looked at him. "Have you seen how Will treats Jack? I mean, sure, he's great with Grace, but he can be kind of an ass sometimes." Buffy stared at Spike, surprised that he was talking about that.

'Has he been in a relationship with someone like Will? That Drew guy maybe?' she thought. 'I can't picture him being like Jack in a relationship, but you never know.'

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Andrew said, smiling at Spike, who in turn looked back at the TV, somewhat angry that he said what he had.

'You're comparing Will Truman, a fictitious character, to Dru,' he thought sadly. 'You really do have issues, mate.' He paused. 'But Dru was genuinely an evil woman. At least Will has a good side to him.'

"Do you guys think I'm like Jack?" Andrew asked, tilting his head and studying Jack on the screen, shrieking in outrage over something Will had accused him of. Buffy and Spike shared a look.

"You don't have a Karen, so no," Buffy said, not wanting to hurt his feelings by saying he was exactly like Jack. Andrew looked at her and smiled.

"I like Karen," he said. "She's got a lot of character. She can be really sweet sometimes."

"Before she says the wrong thing and inadvertently hurts someone's feelings," Spike replied. Buffy looked at him, and he was reminded of the comment he had made in the moving truck about him not wanting her to hurt herself by doing any heavy lifting. He smiled weakly at her, but she flashed him a bright smile.

'That will be my demise. If she keeps doing that, I'm in this for life.'

"She's a powerful woman," Buffy smirked, looking at Andrew. "She's probably not too worried about who she hurts, and she does what she wants to. She's taking a fun approach to life."

"I wish I could do that," Andrew said, looking down. Spike looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Why don't you?" he asked. "You're young, you seem to have a pretty good head on your shoulders- what's keeping you from living the life you want to?"

Buffy was shocked. 'Is Spike taking a liking to Andrew? Is hell freezing over?' She was tempted to look out the window to double-check even. 'Spike's being nice to him. Wow.'

"I…I don't know why," Andrew answered. "I guess I'm just afraid to go for what I want." The telephone rang, and Buffy got up to answer it.

"Well, what is it that you want?" Spike asked. Andrew looked at him and smiled.

'That was a loaded question, Spike. Why would you set yourself up like that?'

"Are you single?" Andrew asked Spike, trying to be casual. Spike restrained himself from smacking his forehead.

"Yes," Spike answered. "But…Andrew, you're…not really my type. I'm sorry." Andrew sighed.

"I know, but I figured there was no harm in asking," he shrugged, standing up.

"You're right," Spike replied with a nod. "Never any harm in it."

"Well, thank you for the insight tonight, Spike. It's really cool of you." Spike nodded, watching Andrew head over to Buffy, who had just gotten off the phone.

"Are you leaving already?" she asked, surprised. Andrew nodded. "Did something happen?"

"He told me I'm not his type," Andrew answered sadly. "Not that I'm surprised, but…it's okay. I have some stuff I have to do at home as it is. I just wanted to stop in and say hi to you both."

"Well, have a good night then, Andrew," Buffy said, feeling sorry for him. She let him out and locked the door behind her, going over to the couch to sit beside Spike.

'I hope Spike was at least nice about it,' she thought. 'I'm sure he was. He's a good guy, after all.'

"Andrew's a good kid," Buffy said. "Don't you think so?" He nodded, drinking some of his beer.

"I hope I gave him some good advice before," Spike replied. "You know, getting him on track."

"I'm sure you did," she smiled softly, looking at him. He smiled back at her. "Oh! I forgot that 'ER' is on soon!" She grabbed the bowl of popcorn again and set it on her lap. "I liked the old seasons the best, but these aren't too bad."

"Let me guess, you had a yen for George Clooney?" Spike asked, amused. She shrugged.

"He wasn't so bad," she said. "But I used to have the biggest crush on Noah Wyle." He frowned.

"Yeah, I bet you did," he said quietly, taking a handful of popcorn. She smiled.

"This should become a routine," she said, looking at him. "Must-see TV, popcorn…"

"With or without an appearance by Andrew?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. She simply giggled in response, munching on several popped kernels and paying attention to the show.

'I vote us being alone together becomes a routine. How about you, luv?' he thought, sighing.

Meet the Family

"Spike!" Buffy yelled from across the street, waving in his direction.

"Whoa!" Xander muttered, elbowing Spike in the side. "Who's the hottie calling for you?"

Spike glared at Xander before turning his attention back to Buffy as she crossed the street and jogged toward the construction site.

"She's my roommate, Harris, so lay off," he growled possessively.

"Roommate, huh?" Charles Gunn asked with a smile. "Well, she can room with me anytime."

Spike spun around to give his friends a look. "She's a nice girl. I don't want anyone harassing her, understand?"

"Since when do we harass women, Spike?" Xander replied.

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah," Gunn said, slapping Xander's shoulder. "It means our boy has it bad for his roommate."

Spike didn't respond as Buffy came within hearing distance.

"Hey!" she said with a bright smile, blushing at the number of men who were staring at her.

"Morning, luv," Spike replied, noticing the blush and turned around to shoot a look at his coworkers who didn't hear his speech to Xander and Gunn. Turning his attention back to Buffy, he offered her a smile. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no," Buffy said, shaking her head before glancing around again. "I'm not going to get you in trouble by being here, am I?" she asked worriedly.

"No, pet," Spike said with a smile, placing his hand on the small of her back and leading her over to his friends. "This ponce is the boss, and he surely doesn't mind when a beautiful woman drops by. Xander Harris, meet Buffy Summers."

Buffy blushed at being called beautiful, but brushed it off, offering both men a smile and shaking Xander's hand. "It's nice to meet you. Spike's told me a lot about you."

"All good, I hope," Xander replied with a friendly smile.

"I plead the fifth," Buffy said with a laugh.

Spike frowned at the flirty behavior, turning her attention to his other friend. "And this is Charles Gunn."

"Hi," Buffy greeted, shaking Gunn's hand. "I haven't heard anything about you," she said, shooting Spike a look.

"I'll consider that good news then," Gunn said with a laugh. "It's nice to meet you, Buffy."

"You too," Buffy said with a smile before turning back to Spike. "I was on my way to class and saw you working. My mom wanted to know if we wanted to come over and eat tonight."

"In Los Angeles?"

"Well, being that it's where she lives…yeah."

"She wants to meet me?" Spike asked in surprise.

"Of course, silly," Buffy said with a playful smack on his shoulder. "She wants to make sure her daughter's not living with a serial killer."

"That's encouraging."

"Sorry," Buffy said in a tone that didn't imply she was sorry at all. "If you don't want to go, I'll understand. I know it's a Friday and you probably have other plans, but-"

"I'll be there, pet."

"Great! Well, I better go or I'll be late to class. It was nice meeting both of you."

Gunn and Xander returned the sentiment as Spike put a hand on her back, leading her off the site. "I really hope I didn't bother you, Spike," Buffy said, turning to him.

"No worries. Feel free to stop by anytime. I'll see you when you get home from class."

"Okay," Buffy replied, giving Spike a quick hug and turning a brilliant shade of red when all of the guys began cheering. "I'll see you later."

Spike smiled as Buffy hurried down the street before turning and flipping off his crewmembers.

"Bloody hell," Spike gasped, breathing heavily and gripping the door handle as Buffy came to a screeching halt in front of her mother's house.

"Oh, stop being so dramatic, you big baby," Buffy said, throwing the car into park and getting out.

Spike followed her, trying to regulate his breathing. "No wonder you never drive around Sunnydale."

"Yeah, well, Mom said I could have a car as long as I only used it for coming to visit her."

"Thank God for small favors," Spike muttered under his breath. "Although, I would have opted for a bus ticket."

"Hey!" Buffy cried indignantly. "I resent that."

"Resent whatever you want, luv. I'm driving home."

Buffy shot him a mocking glare as she walked onto the front porch.

"You sure I look okay?" Spike asked, fidgeting with his khaki pants and black button-down shirt.

"You look great, Spike," Buffy replied, knocking on her mom's door. "I told you that you didn't need to get all dressed up."

"This from the girl in the dress."

Not that Spike was complaining. The pale blue sundress accentuated all of Buffy's curves to perfection, setting off her golden tan and blonde hair.

Buffy was about to respond when the door swung open. "Hey, Dawnie!" Buffy said excitedly, hugging her little sister.

"Buffy!" the younger girl squealed. "You haven't been home in months."

"It hasn't been that long," Buffy replied, grabbing Spike's hand and leading him forward. "Dawn, I want you to meet my friend, Spike."

"Hi," Dawn said with a smile, shooting Buffy a look that was clearly asking, 'Friend?'

Spike greeted the younger of the Summers women before turning his attention to an attractive woman walking down the stairs. He knew it had to be Buffy's mother- the resemblance was too strong to be anyone else.

"Mom!" Buffy cried excitedly, running into the house and wrapping her mom in a hug. "It's so good to see you."

"You too, dear," she said with a smile. "And who is this handsome young man you've brought with you?"

"Oh, sorry," Buffy said sheepishly. "Mom, this is Spike. Spike meet my mom, Joyce."

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Summers."

"Now, you heard my daughter. It's Joyce," she said with a smile, giving him a warm hug.

Spike blushed as Joyce pulled away. Something that did not go unnoticed by Buffy, and she found it endearing.

"How was the drive?" Joyce asked, laughing when Spike visibly paled.

"He's just being a silly," Buffy said, waving her hand dismissively. "It was fine."

"Yeah, as long as people could see her coming."

Joyce and Dawn laughed as Buffy gave Spike a look.

"Well," Joyce said, clapping her hands together. "Who's hungry?"

An hour later, Buffy stood in the kitchen with her mother, helping with the slices of pie they were having for dessert.

"I like him, Buffy," Joyce said softly. "You two seem to get along so well, and he seems like such a nice young man. Much more impressive than Riley."

"I'm not dating him, Mom," Buffy replied, sitting down at the island.

"Why not?"

"I'm not his type."

"Don't be ridiculous, Buffy. You two seem like you're made for each other. I've only known him an hour, and even I can tell that. He seems very protective over you."

"He is," Buffy agreed with a nod. "He's a great guy. He's handsome, and charming, and genuinely nice...and he likes men."

Joyce's eyes shot up to meet her daughter's. "What?"

"You heard me," Buffy replied with a sigh, looking at her hands.

"Oh," Joyce said with wide eyes before a small smile played on her lips. "Maybe you could convert him."

"Mom!" Buffy cried, throwing a dishtowel at her mother before they were both consumed with laughter.

Eventually, it was around eight o'clock, and Buffy wanted to head home. "Well, I think Spike has to work, don't you?" He nodded. "We should probably go then." All four of them stood up, going towards the door. Buffy hugged her kid sister. "Bye, Dawnie. Take care of yourself." Dawn smiled up at her sister. "And I promise to be back again soon."

"We'd both like that," Joyce replied, hugging her daughter before hugging Spike. "It'd be nice for you to join us again also, Spike. It was lovely meeting you." Spike smiled at her. "Take care of my daughter for me, and make sure she eats." Spike chuckled.

"Trust me, your daughter eats," he replied, looking at Buffy, who shot him a look, trying not to smile. "She eats way more than I do, I can assure you." Buffy slapped his arm. "Hey! Oww! At least you hit like a girl." She was about to hit him again when he grabbed her wrist. "Now now, no more of that. I'm the one driving you home, don't forget."

"Thank God," Joyce said quietly. Buffy looked at her mother indignantly. "Have a safe trip."

"Good night, Mom," she said, opening the door. "See you both soon."

"Nice meeting you two," Spike said before following her to the car. Both Dawn and Joyce watched them go to the car, smiling.

"He's a keeper, don't you think?" Joyce asked. Dawn nodded vigorously. "Too bad he's gay." Dawn raised an eyebrow as Joyce closed the door.

"Wait, he's what?" Dawn asked, watching her mother walk upstairs to her room.

In the meantime, Spike and Buffy got to her car. He held out his hand. She looked at it, confused.

"I need the keys, luv," he said, looking at her expectantly. She frowned, crossing her arms. "Please?"

"You were being mean before," she said sadly. "Apologize." He smirked.

'I can think of several good ways to make it up to her,' he thought to himself.

"I'm tremendously sorry for embarrassing you in front of your family and saying you hit like a girl," he said. She sighed and gave him the keys. "But in all fairness, you are a girl, so you should hit like one." She frowned, but he opened the door for her, causing her to be surprised.

"Since when are you so chivalrous?" she joked, getting in. He smiled and shut the door before going over to the driver side and getting in, starting the car. "Wait, you have a California driver's license, right?" He looked at her.

"How different can it be from driving in London?" he asked. Her eyes widened. "Just kidding, pet. I got my license shortly after I moved here. I know how you lot drive in the States. It's not the right way, but then again, nothing here is the right way. Why couldn't you all accept the metric system and measuring the temperature in Celsius?" She laughed.

"Maybe because we were sick of living by England's dumb rules," she offered, looking at him. He frowned and pulled away from her house as Buffy yawned and curled up in the seat.

"Might as well sleep, pet," he said. "We've got a couple hours ahead of us." She smiled graciously at him before shutting her eyes and dozing off.

'And I love watching you sleep.' He smiled and turned his attention back to the road.

'Coming Out'

The next afternoon, Spike came home from a long day at work, looking forward to seeing his roommate.

'She makes a bad day become so much better,' he thought, smiling as he opened the door. He was surprised when he saw her at the kitchen table with a brunette man, laughing about something. 'Who the bloody hell is that?'

Buffy looked up and saw Spike coming through the door. She smiled at him, but noticed the sad look on his face.

'I wonder what's wrong,' she thought, standing up.

"Hey, Spike," she said. He came over to them hesitantly. "Spike, this is Angel, a friend from my history class. Angel, this is Spike, my roommate." Angel stood up, facing Spike.

The two men shook hands, sizing each other up. Buffy raised an eyebrow at the way Spike was studying Angel.

'Oh God, he's not attracted to him, is he?' she thought, frowning. 'No, he looks more jealous. Wait, that's nonsense. Spike's not jealous- he's just being protective.'

"He's just helping me study for our midterm next week," she said, successfully getting the two to stop looking at each other.

'Right, he's just helping her study,' Spike thought, trying to mask his anger.

"Sounds good," Spike said finally. "Whatever helps you do well in school is fine by me." She smiled at him. "I'll let you two study then." He walked away, going to his room and shutting the door before clenching his fists.

'If he even touches her, I'll rip his arms off and beat him to death with them.'

A couple of hours later, Angel left, and Buffy went to Spike's room, surprised that he hadn't left it since he returned home from work.

'I hope he's not mad at me,' she thought. She knocked on the door and opened it up a crack, seeing Spike sitting on his bed, reading a magazine.

"Hey," she said quietly. He looked at her and smiled. "How's everything going?"

"Perfectly fine," he answered. "Did you two finish up studying?" She nodded. "Good."

"You don't mind that I had him over, do you?" she asked, leaning against the doorframe.

'Of course I do,' he thought, furious. 'I don't want another man in my home. Our home.' He smiled to himself. 'I like the sound of that.'

"It's okay," he replied, putting down his magazine. "It's your apartment, too, Buffy."

"Thanks," she smiled. "Hey, I was thinking of going shopping tomorrow. Would you maybe want to go along with me?"

'Shopping? I hate shopping,' he frowned. 'But wait, does that include clothes shopping? Her trying on clothes? Why the bloody hell not?'

"Sure, I'd love to," he said, smiling. "I enjoy shopping."

'Yep, he's definitely gay,' she thought sadly. 'Straight guys don't like shopping.'

"Great," she replied. "Then it's a date." She left and went up to her room.

'I really hope it is,' he thought, smiling, opening his magazine again.

Spike leaned against the counter, suppressing a yawn as Buffy went through bottle after bottle of perfume. He was holding five bags, all belonging to her, and none containing any clothes. The woman had been to three shoe stores and spent an hour in each one- now she had moved on to cosmetics.

"You're not bored, are you, Spike?" she asked, sampling some lotion that she liked.

"I'm just wondering where you get the money to pay for all this, since you don't work."

"The joys of having an absentee father," Buffy responded dryly. "You get a birthday card and a credit card."

"Something tells me you'd rather have your father," Spike said gently.

Buffy shrugged, moving to another counter, obviously wanting to drop the subject. "If you're bored, we can always meet up a little later."

"No," Spike replied, shaking his head, not wanting to leave her company. "I'm with you, wherever you go."

"Great," Buffy said, returning to the counter she had just vacated and picking up the lotion. "What do you think?" she asked, holding her wrist under his nose.

Spike closed his eyes as the scent of vanilla radiated off her skin. "It's perfect, luv," he said softly, trying to control his arousal as she turned around to pay for the bottle.

Twenty minutes later, they sat in the food court, splitting some French fries. "So, how are you liking it here?" Buffy asked.

"In the mall?" he asked with a smile as Buffy threw a fry at him.

"In Sunnydale, Captain Peroxide."

"Hey!" Spike cried indignantly. "This hair is all natural," he finished with a smile.

Buffy laughed as he threw the fry back at her. "Your roots are showing," she said with a giggle.

Spike raised an eyebrow at her. "Yours, too," he said with a grin as Buffy's mouth dropped open.

"Are not!"

"So you admit it?"

Buffy growled playfully as she looked at him before crossing her arms over her chest and looking away.

"Now, luv, don't be mad," Spike said with a smile, sliding his chair over to her side of the table and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. His smile broadened as she shrugged off his arm before his eyes lit up.

Buffy gasped when she felt his fingers tickling her ribs, squirming in her seat as she tried to get away from the assault. "Spike, no," she giggled, pushing him away. "I give," she cried, causing passers-by to look at them with a smile, obviously thinking they were a happy couple, in love. "Uncle…white flag…I give up…anything."

Spike finally took pity on her as she began to gasp for air. He smiled, grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the seat. "Come on. I know you're dying to get back in those stores."

Buffy pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek before walking away, still holding his hand.

"Oooh," she said excitedly, pulling Spike faster as he struggled to hold onto all of her bags.

"How did I get stuck carrying all of your bloody packages?"

"You're the man," she said, never slowing down.

"Why are you trying to rip my arm off, Summers?" he asked as she continued to pull him down the corridor.

"I'm sorry, but Victoria's Secret is up ahead, and I've really been needing to go there."

Spike's eyes nearly bugged out of his head as he stared at her. 'THIS is why I've wasted my day shopping. Just to watch her walk around a lingerie store and imagining what it looks like on her, will make my whole bloody week worthwhile.'

Spike picked up his pace, practically pulling Buffy into the store before she paused to look at one of the mannequins, wearing a black teddy. "That's nice," Buffy commented as Spike swallowed hard.

'Please tell me that she's not waiting for my opinion, because my foot will be shoved so far down my throat I'll never see it again.'

But Buffy was already moving along to the next thing that happened to catch her eye. Spike watched, surprised she wasn't being at least a little bit shy, as she began to go through rows of lacey panties and matching bras. "What do you think?" she asked, holding up a pair of red lace boyshorts.

Spike closed his eyes for a brief moment, wondering if she was really asking him. Opening his eyes, he saw her looking down at them before meeting his gaze again. "Well?"

"Nice," Spike said in a choked whisper, strategically placing the bags to cover his growing erection.

"Great!" Buffy said brightly, grabbing several colors before moving on to select different styles of chemises and slips. "Okay, I'm going to go try some of these on- why don't you sit down?"

Spike took a deep breath, trying to calm his overactive imagination. "Umm…where?"

"Oh, sorry! You've probably never been in here. There's some chairs in the dressing area."

Spike felt short of breath as he sat down, watching Buffy disappear into one of the stalls.

'This must be too good to be true,' he thought as he stared at the row of mirrors in front of him. Those thoughts soon changed when the door opened to reveal Buffy in a white chemise. 'I have to be dreaming, that's the only explanation,' Spike thought as he watched her walk to the mirror, pivoting slightly so she could see herself better.

"Does this look okay?" she asked, giving a little spin. Spike thought he would pass out as the material fluttered slightly, giving it a nearly transparent quality.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Buffy exclaimed, misreading his reaction. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"No," Spike said in a soft whisper, blinking rapidly to focus his eyesight.

"Oh good," Buffy said with a relieved smile. "I guess I just figured with you being gay, you wouldn't mind seeing me like this."

Spike felt his body jump as he comprehended what she had just told him. "Excuse me?"

Buffy gasped. "Did you not want me to know? I'm sorry, Spike, it's just that when I ran into your date or ex…or whoever she was at the restaurant, she told me. If you were trying to keep it a secret…"

Spike watched her, fading in and out between the reality that she thought he was gay and the fact that she was standing in front of him, wearing practically nothing.

"I mean," Buffy continued, turning to look at her reflection. "It's not like I would be standing here if you were straight, since that wouldn't be the best of situations," she said with a laugh. "I just figured you could give me an unbiased opinion."

Whatever made Spike say it, he knew he would later regret it, but something about seeing her being so open with him, even if it was under false pretenses, made the words come out of his mouth. "No…I don't mind you knowing, pet."

Buffy smiled, blowing him a kiss as she disappeared into the dressing room. Once she was out of sight, Spike's head dropped into his hands. 'Tell her the truth, you ponce,' he thought angrily. 'It will only get worse if you don't tell her now.'

"You ready?" Buffy asked, reappearing.

"Yeah…let's go."

'What the bloody hell have I done?'

Pretending

Buffy came home from her history midterm about a week later and sighed as she walked through the door. Spike was in the kitchen, grabbing a beer, when she walked in.

'All right, mate, time to be on guard again,' he thought. 'You should've just admitted to her that day that you're as straight as an arrow. That you'd rather shag her than a guy, but no, you set yourself up to play this game.'

"Hey, luv," he said, noticing her weary expression. "Everything okay?"

She looked at him and smiled. "Well, I'm pretty sure I passed my test," she said, coming over by him. He smiled back at her.

"I knew you would," he replied. "You've been studying a lot for it. You and Angel both."

'Stupid sod has been here this last week, more than I have,' he thought bitterly.

"Yeah, he helped me a lot," she said, getting a soda for herself. "So, I was thinking I'd go out and pamper myself. You know, de-stress after the last few days. Since you so rudely pointed out that my roots are showing, I think I'm going to go get my hair redone. Want to come with me? They can bleach your hair back to its usual radioactive color." He narrowed his eyes at her.

'There's no way you'd catch me in a poncy beauty salon,' he thought, crossing his arms. 'But that's straight Spike, not gay Spike. Gay Spike would probably enjoy getting his hair done. Maybe it wouldn't sting as bad as it usually does.'

"Sure," he replied. "Sounds like a deal."

"Great, it's my treat, too," she said with a smile. "Well, actually, it's Dad's treat. He just doesn't know it yet." Spike laughed and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She sighed quietly.

'I wish more guys would do that,' she thought sadly. 'I love that sign of affection, even if it's from an unattainable guy.'

"I'll take you out for dinner then," Spike offered. "We'll make it a celebratory meal. On me."

"Oh, I like the way you think," she said. "We'll get our hair done, dress up, and go out to eat. Three of my favorite things." Spike laughed, seeing how her eyes sparkled. "I'll just go and set up an appointment. Any day you're free for the late afternoon hours?"

"How about Friday?" he asked. She nodded and grabbed the phone book, paging through it. He opened his beer and drank from it.

'This charade shouldn't be too hard to play into,' he shrugged. 'But I'll have to come clean, and probably the sooner, the better.'

Later on that night, they were sitting on the couch, watching TV, when a re-run of "Will and Grace" came on. Buffy laughed to herself, shaking her head in amusement. He looked at her, confused.

"We're so similar to this show," she pointed out, looking back at him. "I'm Grace, you're Will, and we've already established that Andrew is a dead-ringer for Jack."

'Does she really think I'm like Will?' he asked himself. 'Didn't I express the fact before that Will isn't always a nice guy?' He paused. 'Yes, well, I've been known to be quite a jerk on occasion, so maybe I am like Will. And isn't that guy straight in real life? Right, I'm fine. I'm straight and I'm fine.'

"So is Andrew just going to walk in whenever he feels like it then?" Spike asked, motioning to the screen after Jack barged into Will's apartment. Buffy giggled.

"I could give him a key," she offered. "I'm sure I've got a spare one somewhere." He growled, and she raised an eyebrow. "Did you just growl?" Spike averted his gaze and frowned. "No way! I've never heard you do that before. Do it again!" He raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not a dog who performs tricks for its owner," he replied, trying to mask how embarrassed he was about her hearing that. "I won't be commanded by my puppet-master, thanks."

"I'm the master in this situation?" she asked jokingly. "What does that make you? My mistress?" Spike was shocked at what she said and felt slightly stunned when she burst out laughing. "Can guys be mistresses? That'd be hilarious!"

"Right, bloody funny," he said, returning his attention to the show, watching how Will and Grace interacted.

'See, they're happy,' he thought. 'Buffy and I are happy, too, but there's a connection there between them that she and I don't have yet. How do I get to that level? She's comfortable with me, which is good, but I don't know if everything is right with us.' He paused. 'Probably because you're lying to her, ponce.'

"Spike?" she asked suddenly, her laughter dying out. He looked at her. "We need a Karen."

"I think three's enough," he replied. "I figure I've already got my hands full with you, luv."

"Don't forget Andrew," she said. "He absolutely adores you." She paused and grinned. "Hey, didn't Jack and Will used to date?" She crumbled into hysterics again before the phone rang.

'And my night is now complete,' he thought sadly, shaking his head at the girl beside him.

After she hung up, she returned to sitting beside Spike, who was still intently watching the show.

"That was Mom," she said. "She invited us over for dinner this weekend. If you're up for it, at least."

"Sure," Spike replied, looking at her. "I like your mom. She's a sweet bird."

"And the British terms just keep on coming out of nowhere," Buffy smiled. He chose to smile back at her instead of replying with a sharp, witty comment about her choice of diction half of the time.

'It's the same language, but I'd say Americans have definitely made English flawed.'

"Anyways, she invited Angel, and she said you could bring anyone you wanted, too," Buffy said. Spike looked at her, trying to mask his feelings.

"You're bringing Angel?" he asked. She shrugged. "What does that mean?"

"I'll think about it," she answered. "Maybe I will, maybe I won't. Are you going to bring anyone? Mom seems to be interested in your type of guy."

"Hold up- your mum knows I'm gay, too?" he asked, panicking as she nodded.

'Bloody hell. I've dug myself in deep, haven't I? Does the whole state think I'm gay?'

"Is that okay?" she asked quickly. "I mean, she asked why we weren't dating before, so I kind of told her. I'm sorry if I shouldn't have, but it just happened. Sorry."

"It's okay, pet," he replied with a sigh, sinking down on the couch. "The truth is bound to come out sometime."

She saw how sad he looked and cuddled up against him. He smiled softly as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, holding her to him.

'Well, as long as she's still with me, I think I can pretend to be gay for a while.'

Author's Note: Just so you know, we're planning on stringing Spike along for a little while. There's just so many fun situations to get him into, we have to explore the possibilities :-) Thanks for reading and reviews would be appreciated.

The 'Oops' Factor

"See, it's not so bad," Buffy said, grabbing Spike's hand as they walked out of the salon. "And you weren't the only guy in there."

Spike raised an eyebrow to her. "That was the mailman."

"Still," Buffy said with a giggle as they walked down the street. "Are we still on for dinner tonight?"

"You bet," Spike replied as Buffy let go of his hand, only to wrap her small body around his arm. He smiled at the comforting feel of having her pressed so close to him.

Spike was about to ask if they were still going to her mother's for dinner the following night but stopped when he saw Angel walking toward them. His eyes automatically narrowed in response to seeing the poofter.

"There's Angel," Buffy said, letting go of his arm and picking up her pace. "I'll be right back."

Spike watched as she walked toward him, feeling jealousy wash over him in waves as he leaned against the side of a building, lighting a cigarette. He watched as Angel made eye contact with him for a brief moment before turning back to Buffy and giving her a sickening smile.

Buffy laughed at something he said before nodding her head and waving good-bye.

"All done, pet?" Spike asked as she leaned against the wall next to him.

"Yeah…Angel's coming with us tomorrow."

"Is that right?" Spike replied, trying to appear uninterested and cover up the seething jealousy he was feeling.

"Have you invited anyone?" she asked, tilting her head to look at him.

Spike tried not to notice how her highlights shimmered in the sunlight as her wide green eyes looked at him inquisitively. "No," Spike said, crushing the cigarette under the heel of his boot.

"You could always invite Andrew," Buffy said, her eyes wide in fake innocence as Spike shot her a look.

"Very funny."

"What time are we eating tonight?" Buffy asked, changing the subject.

"Eight."

"Alright," Buffy replied, walking away.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"To buy a new dress," she said, turning around to wave as she walked away. "I'll see you at home, I want it to be a surprise."

Spike smiled, waving good-bye as she disappeared around the corner. "At least she wants to impress you, even though she thinks there's not a chance," he muttered to himself. "That's gotta mean something."

Buffy walked into the apartment two hours later, holding the garment bag that contained her new dress. "Spike!" she called, throwing her keys on the kitchen counter, waiting for an answer. She frowned when none came, but eventually shrugged, figuring he must be out for a little while.

She headed for the bathroom, deciding to start getting ready early, not wanting to end up running late and missing their reservations. Opening the bathroom door, Buffy froze seeing Spike standing on the bathmat, completely naked.

Her hand flew to her mouth as she squeaked, causing Spike to look up, his eyes widening. "Buffy."

"I'm so sorry!" Buffy cried as she spun around, slamming the door shut as she ran for her room, flying up the stairs faster than she ever had in the past.

"Bloody hell," Spike muttered, not bothering to dry off from his shower as he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist before running after her.

Buffy was sitting on the edge of her bed, her hands fisted in the comforter as she looked at the floor. Spike had to smile at the exquisite shade of red that her face had turned.

"Well, I know I'm impressive to look at, pet, but I've never had that reaction," he said with a chuckle as he sat down next to her.

Buffy couldn't help it as she smiled, silently thanking him for lightening the mood. "I'm so sorry, Spike. I didn't think you were home."

Spike leaned forward until he was in her eye-line, silently asking her to face him and smiling when she finally looked up. "Buffy, we're roommates. This kind of thing happens, don't worry about it."

'I could probably focus better if he wasn't sitting here in nothing but a towel,' she thought, watching the small droplets of water slide down his muscular chest and suppressing the urge to moisten her lips.

"I'm still sorry," she said softly, forcing her eyes back to his.

"Well," Spike said with a smile. "If it will make you feel any better, you can always strip down so that we're on even ground."

Buffy smacked him on the chest, finally laughing at the situation. "As if you'd get any type of thrill out of it," she replied.

'If you only knew,' he thought with a grin.

Buffy looked at him for a long moment, tilting her head thoughtfully. "I like your hair this way," she said softly, reaching up to play with the soft curls as Spike briefly closed his eyes at the wonderful feeling. "It's more natural. Well…as natural as you can get with all the chemicals on it."

Spike chuckled with her, watching as she looked down at the floor, still obviously a little shaken.

"So, it's forgotten?" he asked, tilting her chin up to look in her eyes, never removing his hand as she looked at him.

"Forgotten," she confirmed, even though it was the furthest thing from the truth.

"Great," Spike murmured, the mood instantly changing as they looked into each other's eyes. Both were suddenly very aware of their close proximity as they slowly moved toward each other.

Seconds before their lips met, the mood was instantly shattered as the telephone rang, causing Spike to nearly leap from the bed, running a hand through his damp hair. "Right…you get the phone and I'll get dressed."

Buffy was almost in a state of shock. On one hand, they had almost kissed. On the other, Spike had nearly run away once the phone rang. "He's not interested, Buffy," she muttered to herself as she went to answer it. "You walked in on the guy naked- of course he's going to be a little out of sorts."

It took everything Buffy had not to yell into the phone when she answered it, frowning when she heard her mother on the other end, wanting to make sure they would still be making the trip to L.A. the following night. She made pleasant small talk, using every ounce of willpower not to think about the muscular body whose image was now burned in her brain.

Note: We know a few people are worried about Buffy finding out the truth before it gets out of hand, so let us put you at ease- Buffy will find out in less than a week as far as the timeline goes. However, that is quite a few chapters from now, so we still have a lot to get through. It doesn't get ridiculous or forced (at least we don't think so) and when we get tired of writing the story, it will be summed up. We don't plan on stretching out a perfectly good story, just to make it longer, we're going by out notes and what we wanted to happen. At this point we are halfway finished, so please keep reading because the real story is about to start :-)

Double Date

The following morning, a mental war was raging in Spike's head after he woke up.

'She's bringing Angel to dinner tonight, and there's no way I can sit in a car with that wanker for a few hours, round-trip. Maybe I could lie and say I'm sick or something,' he thought before frowning. 'And then leave Angel and Buffy alone in a car that long? No way in hell.' He sighed and lay back on his pillows. 'Maybe if I have someone else along with me, I won't want to throttle that ponce. But who? It's going to have to be a guy, because hey- she still thinks I'm gay.' He ran through his options for a moment before stopping on one. 'Jackpot!'

He leaned over and grabbed the phone on his bedside table, dialing it quickly.

"Hello?" a tired voice asked, sounding somewhat cranky.

"Xander, I need a favor," Spike said, grinning. "And trust me, you'll be financially rewarded."

Buffy was sitting on the couch, reading the morning paper, finding herself distracted by several thoughts plaguing her.

'I saw Spike naked,' she grinned. 'Andrew would've died for that opportunity. Actually, I think most people would've.' She sighed. 'But he's off-limits.' Her mind switched targets. 'And then there's Angel. He's incredibly nice, and humble, and quite good-looking. I hope Mom will like him.'

She heard Spike's door open and pretended not to notice as he walked towards her, running a hand through his hair.

"Good morning, luv," he said before sitting beside her. "I…I'm bringing someone tonight." She looked at him, surprised.

"Oh? And who's the lucky man?" she asked, putting down the newspaper on her lap.

"Xander," he answered, smiling at the stunned look on her face.

'I knew it! I knew there was something going on behind the surface!' She paused. 'Explains why he was practically throwing himself at me last week at the construction site. He must've been overcompensating when he thought that I didn't know Spike was gay. How nice of him.'

"Well, I think that's great," Buffy said, looking at the paper. "I mean, he seems like a great guy."

"Yeah, he is," Spike said, taking the paper from her, his fingers lightly brushing across her thigh as he picked it up. Both felt a tiny jolt run through them, but Buffy wrote it off instantly.

'Just an accident. Kind of impossible to grab it without him touching me a little.'

"So, Angel's going to meet us here around four," she said, standing up. "Is Xander coming here, too?"

"Yep," Spike answered. "I told him to look nice. I want your mum to approve of him." Spike held back a laugh at the priceless expression that crossed over her features.

'Oh God, they're serious, aren't they?' she frowned. 'I mean, I suspected them dating, but I guess I never really put too much thought into it.' She paused and sighed. 'Well, at least Xander seems nice. I guess it wouldn't be too bad having him here every once in awhile.'

"I'm sure Mom will like him," she replied, heading to the stairs leading up to her room. "I've got a little bit of homework to do this afternoon, so if you need me, I'll be up here." He nodded and watched her go upstairs, smiling as he noticed how her hips swayed.

He wished they would be alone like they were the night before, enjoying a nice dinner together and talking like old friends. But after seeing her reaction to his announcement, he changed his mind.

'Was it just me, or did she actually seem somewhat jealous about Xander?' he thought to himself, finally chuckling. 'I think tonight is going to be quite interesting after all.'

Around four o'clock, Spike wasn't shocked to open the door for Angel. He let him in, and both men stood silently for a moment, exchanging a stern look.

"Hi, Angel," Buffy said, walking down the stairs. The two men looked at her in awe.

'She looks like a bloody angel,' Spike thought, taking in the white dress she was wearing and how her golden hair made her face look like she was glowing. 'She's breath-taking.'

Buffy came over to them and smiled up at Angel.

"You look nice," she said before turning to Spike. "As do you, roomie."

Spike couldn't tell if he should be happy or hurt by that comment.

'She compliments him first and calls me roomie?' he thought. 'Is that all I am?'

Thankfully, someone knocked on the door, and Spike sighed in relief when he opened it to see Xander, standing there in khakis and a pink collared shirt.

'He's definitely getting a tip for wearing pink,' Spike smirked.

"Hey," Spike said, motioning for him to come in. "I believe you remember Buffy, and this is her friend, Angel. Angel, this is Xander." The look Angel gave Spike didn't go unnoticed by both him and Buffy. The strangers shook hands as Buffy grabbed her car keys.

"So, are we all ready to go?" she asked, looking between the three men. Spike took her keys.

"Yep, let's go." He smiled at the frown she gave him before leading the way out to her car.

When they finally arrived at her childhood home, Spike wanted nothing more than to get away from Buffy's date. They had spent the whole ride chatting in the backseat, and Spike caught his eyes looking at them in the rearview mirror at least every two minutes, making sure they were only talking. After one glance, he caught himself swerving over into the next lane and mentally chastised himself.

'Don't let them get to you,' he thought. 'They're just talking. Besides, Buffy wouldn't do anything stupid with him.' He paused. 'Would she?'

The four exited the car and went to her front door, Buffy letting them all in. Joyce and Dawn were waiting in the living room and instantly stood up to greet everyone. Buffy hugged them both before deciding to introduce the two new men with them. For a second, Joyce almost suspected that the tall brunette man beside Spike was his date, but when she saw the glare Angel sent Spike's way, she figured she was wrong.

"Mom, this is Angel," Buffy said, motioning to him. "And this is Xander, Spike's date." Xander shot Spike a look of his own before coming forward to shake Joyce's hand and smile at Buffy's sister.

"It's great to meet you both," Joyce said, smiling warmly. "I'm happy you could all make it tonight. And I'm sure you're all pretty hungry, so shall we get to it?"

Five heads nodded, and she led them into the dining room. Spike suppressed a glare as Angel sat beside Buffy, but he figured he could at least sit across from her.

'It's only tonight, Spike,' he thought to himself. 'Things are going to change from here on out.'

Spike kept a close eye on Angel as Joyce began serving the food. He found himself glaring at the subtle touches and secret smiles that were being exchanged between the couple across the table.

Dawn and Buffy made small talk as they all settled in to eat, catching up with each other.

"How've you been, Spike?" Joyce asked a moment later with a warm smile.

"Fine, Joyce," he responded with his own smile. "Keeping busy, you know how it is."

"And how do you two know each other?" she asked, directing her gaze at Xander, who in turn, threw his arm around Spike's shoulders, nearly causing the blonde to choke.

"We've been friends for a while," Xander replied with a friendly grin. "We work together now, and things just have a way of…evolving."

Joyce's smile faded when she heard Angel scoff. She turned to face him, but he made a show of looking at the food on his plate, trying to cover it with a cough, but it didn't go unnoticed by anyone at the table and it made Spike's hatred of him grow. So what if he wasn't gay? That's still no reason for Angel to act the way he was.

'How can Buffy like a guy like this? One who's obviously a homophobe,' he thought, fury coursing through his veins.

"Something wrong, mate?" Spike asked with venom in his voice as he raised an eyebrow at the larger man.

"Did I say anything was wrong?" Angel replied, taking a sip of his drink.

Buffy nervously worried her bottom lip as she looked between the two men. She was really wanting them to get along. After all, Spike was rapidly turning into her best friend, and she wanted him to approve of anyone she could potentially begin dating. On the other hand, that was no reason for Angel to act the way he was.

"Great soup, Mom," Buffy said, a little too loud, trying to overcompensate for the tension that filled the room.

"Thank you, Buffy," Joyce replied. "So Angel, what do you do?" she asked, trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, since he could be around for a while.

"I'm a student at UCSunnydale. That's how I met Buffy."

"And are you two…seeing each other?"

Buffy was about to shake her head 'no' when Angel replied. "Yes."

Spike's eyes shot up to Buffy's, the pain evident in his gaze as she offered him a small smile. She was confused by the look in his eyes, but she assumed that he was worried she would start ignoring him if she got a boyfriend. She would have to reassure him later that he would always be in her life.

Spike wanted nothing more that to get up for a cigarette, but he didn't want to insult Joyce. Actually, he wanted nothing more than to throw a punch at Angel, but he didn't think that would be such a good idea. 'Buffy would probably hit me back before kicking me out of the apartment,' he thought, clenching his fists indiscreetly under the table.

The Summers' women made pleasant small talk, trying to involve the men as much as possible throughout the course of the meal, but it was apparent that none of them felt like talking.

When dinner was finally over, Spike helped with the dishes, in spite of Joyce's protesting that 'guests don't do dishes.' He insisted that his mother would yell at him if he didn't offer to help, and Joyce had to smile at that.

'See, why can't Buffy meet a guy like this?' Joyce thought. 'A man who respects his mother and the mothers of everyone else?'

Spike and Joyce were laughing as they walked into the living room, and his smile immediately faded when he saw Buffy cuddled on the couch next to Angel.

'That's supposed to be me,' he thought bitterly.

Xander and Dawn were laughing about something as Joyce sat next to her youngest daughter.

"Excuse me," Spike mumbled, grabbing his duster and walking to the back of the house and out onto the back porch.

He sighed, lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag, trying to relax as the normally comforting nicotine flowed into his lungs. Unfortunately, tonight it offered no comfort.

"Get it together, you pillock," he muttered to himself, biting his bottom lip as he tried to forget all about the happy couple in the house.

"Are you okay?"

Spike turned, surprised to see Buffy behind him, rubbing her bare arms against the slight chill in the air. Spike immediately put out his cigarette before shrugging out of his duster. Buffy gave him a grateful smile as he wrapped it around her body and began running his hands up and down her arms to warm her.

"You shouldn't be out here, Buffy," he said softly. "You've got a date inside."

"So do you," Buffy replied, and Spike had to swallow his laugh.

"Maybe," he replied. "But I think my guy is more comfortable here than yours."

"You don't like him very much, do you?"

"Xander?" Spike asked, knowing that she was asking about Angel.

"Spike," Buffy replied in a warning tone.

Spike sighed, his hands stilling their movements but never leaving her arms. "I think you could do better, luv," he said softly.

"Spike, you don't even know him," Buffy protested weakly.

"I know enough," he said with a sigh, looking toward the house before meeting her gaze again. "I know he's not the right guy for you."

"Is that right? And who is?"

"The exact opposite."

"Spike, the exact opposite kind of guy would be…well…you."

Spike gave her a gentle smile, leaning forward to brush his lips lightly against hers in an innocent kiss.

Buffy watched with wide eyes as he turned and walked back into the house, her hand coming up to touch her lips.

Buffy sighed, turning to lean against the railing of the porch. "Why couldn't it be you?" she whispered sadly, staring into the night.

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