"Irresistible Temptation"
Author: Ashlee
Contact: ashlee_999@hotmail.com
Notes: This story was originally started by Darla called You're My Temptation and adopted by me, starting after (her original version of) chapter three. I have rewritten the first part of it (that wasn't mine) and even though this entire story was written by me, I did not come up with the idea and the first few chapters are just my interpretation- I merely elaborated on what was previously written and changed the storyline a little bit.
Just Survive
Sitting in her class and listening to the teacher drone on about their reading assignment for the weekend, Buffy sat at her desk, mindlessly tapping a pencil against the flat surface and counting the seconds until the bell rang. Eager to get home and check on her sick mother, at only eleven years old, she already knew too much about the bad things that affected this world. Her father had left years ago, leaving Joyce Summers to take care of an eight-year-old little girl entirely on her own. That is, until the tables had turned and Buffy had spent the last few years looking after her mother while Joyce was subjected to numerous chemotherapy treatments.
When the bell finally rang, announcing the end of the school day, Buffy practically bolted out of her seat, wanting nothing more than to get away from this awful building for a weekend of freedom. Idly swinging her backpack and letting it gently hit her knees as she walked, without a care in the world. Waving to her friends, Buffy walked off the campus and headed toward her house.
Walking through her front door, Buffy felt as if everything fell away in the moment that she looked into her living room. Feeling her mouth go dry and her eyes water, she suddenly found it extremely hard to breathe as she looked into her mother's lifeless eyes.
She looked so at peace.
Out of pain.
Gone.
She felt as if the little girl inside of her was dying as she crumpled to the ground, her hand gripping the door casing and her body frozen in shock as she looked at the scene before her. The tears in her eyes threatened to spill over, but she still couldn't take her eyes away from the sight in front of her.
"Mommy?" she whispered, her voice laced with agony.
Silently trying to will her mother to move…to blink…to do anything, Buffy felt a solitary tear slip down her cheek as the final trace of hope seemed to slip away.
Not knowing what to do, Buffy pulled her knees up to her chest in a feeble effort to comfort herself.
"Mommy, wake up," she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut and wishing for everything to disappear when she reopened them. "Please, wake up…please…make it better…I don't know what to do…"
She trailed off in an agonizing sob.
Hours later, when her eyes were puffy and her body was sore from staying in the same position, Buffy slowly managed to get to her feet. Stumbling around the darkening room, she tried not to let everything overwhelm her as she reached for the phone and slowly managed to dial 911. Her foggy brain automatically picked out the numbers as if it was a reflex before dimly hearing the operator picking up the extension. Numbly giving the woman the information she wanted, Buffy let the phone drop to the floor as she curled herself into a ball and waited for someone to come and make it better.
Never moving from her spot as the men carried her mother's body out of the house, she felt as if she was outside of her body, watching everything take place but never actually experiencing it.
As she watched everyone moving around, she could feel a sense of dread surrounding her with each moment that passed. Vaguely realizing when a woman kneeled in front of her, Buffy forced herself to focus on her, trying to keep her mind occupied as the woman spoke.
"Hi," she said in a gentle voice, tenderly brushing the blonde hair out of Buffy's face and offering her a soft smile, doing what she could to comfort the distraught young woman. "I'm Fred. Would you like to come with me?"
Her chin trembled as she nodded. Sniffling to control the remaining tears, Buffy hastily wiped her eyes and her nose with the sleeve of her shirt before accepting the woman's offered hand and getting to her feet.
Grateful for the support that was being offered to her as they walked out the door, Buffy clutched at the older woman as if she was a lifeline…which, to her eleven-year-old mind, she really was.
Leading her out of the house, Fred slowly led her to the porch swing, hoping the fresh air would do what it could to settle the distraught and heartbroken little girl.
"Where's your father, honey?" she asked, never releasing her hold on Buffy's hand. An act that surprisingly comforted the young blonde.
"I don't know," she whispered miserably.
"Is there anyone you could call?"
"No," she sniffled, shaking her head. "Just mommy. She's the only family I have…"
Trailing off with a choked sob, Buffy once again curled her legs against her chest as she cried.
"Okay," Fred whispered, wrapping her arm around Buffy's shoulders. "It'll be okay. I need you to do something for me, alright?"
"Yeah," she whispered with a nod.
"I'm going to take you somewhere that you can stay. I need you to go upstairs and pack some things to take with you."
Buffy nodded her understanding and took a deep breath before climbing to her feet and walking back into her house.
With her small suitcase clutched on her lap, Buffy knew that she was literally holding her life in her hands. She had only grabbed the essentials, including the money she had saved that was safely tucked away in a hidden pocket of the suitcase.
Watching the neighborhood fly by, she swallowed when Fred pulled her car into the driveway of a quaint looking townhouse. Climbing out of the car, Buffy felt as if she was walking into a real estate catalogue as she looked at the perfect shrubbery and identical houses that ran along each side of the street.
Seeing the pretty woman walk out of the house, Buffy took a moment to assess the shampoo commercial hair and a smile that could have been advertised at a dentist's office, and she decided that maybe things were looking up…just a little bit.
"Hi!" she said with a friendly smile as she walked out to meet them at the car.
Buffy could feel her stomach flip flop, suddenly nervous with the entire situation. She felt safe with Fred. She had only just met her, but she was just another thing that Buffy seemed to be losing.
"Buffy?" the woman asked, kneeling in front of the young girl.
"That's me," she murmured, clutching her suitcase even tighter in her white-knuckled hands.
"Would you like to come with me?" she asked, offering her hand to Buffy.
Hesitantly taking it, she allowed herself to be led toward the house, waving a goodbye to Fred and offering the older woman a watery smile when she climbed back into her car.
Walking into the house, Buffy looked around the huge living room, seeing the five other kids who were crowded around the TV, watching a cartoon. She finally allowed a small smile to play on her lips. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.
As the woman led her to her room, Buffy smiled as she looked at the white-washed twin beds with the fluffy pink comforters. She was told that she would be sharing it with one of the other girls, but Buffy found herself relieved at that thought. She didn't think she could handle being alone right now.
Tossing and turning in her new bed, Buffy tried pulling the pillow over her face to block out the shouting match that was occurring between the two adults in the next room.
With a heavy sigh, Buffy rolled over, vaguely making out the girl in the bed next to hers.
"Better get used to it," the little girl said softly. "They do this every night."
"Every night?" Buffy repeated, unable to believe that the picture-perfect couple could live a double life at night, screaming words at each other that she had never even heard.
The other girl nodded, giving Buffy a sympathetic look. It was hard being the new kid. Especially because entering into foster care almost always meant something tragic had happened.
Hearing the door open, both turned toward the light that streamed into the room, seeing the three little boys, each fidgeting nervously as they looked down the hall at the source of the yelling.
"Come on," the other girl said, sitting up in bed. Buffy watched as two ran over to the other bed, while the third climbed in with her, each seeking comfort as the sound of screams and crashing could be heard throughout the house.
Age 13 – Foster Home #2
Desperately trying to curl herself into a ball, Buffy bit her tongue, trying to keep her screams of pain to herself as the woman above her continued to strike her with the belt. Feeling a cry torn from her throat as the leather made contact with her neck, she finally let the tears fall.
It was a nightly occurrence. It didn't matter what Buffy did- or more accurately, what she didn't do- every night resulted in a new beating for some lack of a chore that she didn't do properly.
Perfection was expected in this house.
Expected…but never achieved.
Feeling the blood trail along her body as the leather bit into her skin, she continuously tried to suppress the screams of agony. Screaming only made the beatings worse.
Age 14 – Foster Home #3
Lying in her bed, Buffy struggled to stay awake, not wanting to risk falling asleep with the ten other kids in the room. She tried her hardest not to fall asleep at night, only taking quick naps during the day whenever she could get a moment alone.
Feeling the bed shift as someone sat down next to her, Buffy immediately lashed out, knocking the older boy off the bed before he managed to make a grab for her. It was a nightly occurrence. If she could just last the night, she didn't run the risk of being molested in her sleep.
'You can get through this,' she told herself. 'You won't be here much longer…you can get through this.'
Age 15 – Foster Home #4
"No!" Buffy screamed, trying to fight against the large man who easily pushed her down to the bed.
Frantically trying to get away, she managed to get to her feet but was easily restrained and thrown back onto the filthy mattress as he pulled off his belt and unbuttoned his jeans.
"Please, no," she cried, as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Not again. Stop!"
Trying to calm her tears and completely zone out of the situation, Buffy wished that once, just once, someone would do something to intervene.
Feeling the man's crushing weight on top of her, she made another feeble effort to get away but was met with a sharp slap in the face, stunning her into submission as he continued to abuse her body, tearing away another shred of innocence that she desperately wanted to hold onto.
Every night. Every night he brutally raped her and there wasn't a thing she could do to stop him.
Age 16 – Foster Home #5
Fearing the worst, Buffy walked into the newest foster home, seeing the perfect family standing to meet her. Her eyes widened as she looked around the house, not seeing any imperfections that were visible to the eye.
There was no way she could survive here. Not with what she'd gone through. She didn't deserve to be here- let it be someone who needed it.
Age 17
Climbing out of her window on the night of her seventeenth birthday, Buffy tossed her bag to the ground below before scaling the nearby tree and effortlessly landing on the ground. Scooping up the bag, she ran down the street, never looking back.
Rounding the corner, Buffy didn't stop running until she reached the bus station. Gasping for air, she sat down on a bench, reaching into a compartment of her bag and withdrawing five hundred dollars. Her life savings.
"It'll have to be enough," she whispered, pocketing the majority of the money and standing up to walk to the counter.
"Destination?" the man behind the counter asked, never looking up from the magazine he was reading.
"Sunnydale, California," Buffy replied. She had always wanted to live in her mother's hometown and she wasn't going to go in a roundabout way to get there.
Paying the total amount and grabbing her ticket, she quickly made her way to the bus.
Walking through the streets of Sunnydale a few hours later, Buffy tried to relax. She was safe. For once in her life, she didn't have to worry about anything…except surviving, but she'd been doing that for so long that it was second nature by now.
Seeing the 'Sun Spot Motel' in the distance, Buffy made her way in that direction. It was rundown and decrepit, but it would be a roof over her head.
Falling onto the bed in her motel room a few minutes later, Buffy mentally calculated how much money she had left. She would definitely need what little money she had left after paying for the room for a solid week.
Now she just had to find a job, a place to live, and attempt to forget all about her past and build a life for herself.
Now she just had to survive.
Note: Okay, from this point, the story is very much mine . I had to use a huge part of the first chapter because it's important for the remainder of the story, but now I'm able to take a little more freedom with the story. I only kept two things from the original chapter 2 & 3, because I felt that my time was better focused on other aspects of the story…just read and you'll get what I mean :-)
Plan A... Plan B
Slowly opening her eyes and groaning as the light filtered into her vision, Buffy rolled over in the lumpy bed, trying to remember where she was.
"Oh yeah," she murmured, letting the images penetrate her foggy brain. "Plan A- find a job."
Literally rolling out of bed, Buffy landed on the floor with a loud thump and an "Oomph."
Sitting up and digging through her bag for a moment, Buffy pulled out a pair of jeans and a pale pink shirt, almost snorting at her clothing options. She was anything but sweet and innocent like the color suggested. Rolling her eyes at the thought, she shook her head to clear it.
Quickly getting ready and walking out the door, Buffy stopped in the motel office and grabbed a newspaper, hoping that there would be some worthwhile jobs that were available. She wanted to be able to find something as soon as possible and get out of that dingy motel room. She hadn't even unpacked in the hopes that she wouldn't be staying there more than a few days.
'Maybe I can find a job today and get an apartment soon,' she thought, feeling something strange for the first time in years…hope.
Walking through the streets of Sunnydale, Buffy was surprised at what a quaint little town it appeared to be. Seeing it the night before hadn't done it justice. Slowly walking toward a park across the street, she sat on one of the empty swings, idly kicking her legs beneath her as she opened the paper and folded it to the classifieds, her eyes zeroing in on the Want Ads.
Her hopes seemed to drop as she read through the advertisements.
"Great," she muttered with a sigh, throwing the paper on the ground and grabbing the chains that were holding the swing up. Kicking her legs with more intent, she pushed off the ground and enjoyed a few stress-free moments of letting the air hit her face. "Truck drivers, telemarketers, and a job at a bar. This town isn't exactly chock full of job opportunities."
Truck driving would require school, which would require more money than the one hundred dollars she had left after paying for the bus ticket and motel room. She knew she wouldn't be able to make it as a telemarketer.
"The bar it is," she mumbled, dragging her feet in the sawdust until the swing came to a stop. Picking up the paper off the ground, Buffy looked at the address and walked to a nearby gas station, asking the attendant for directions.
Walking into the dimly lit bar, Buffy was surprised to look around and see the tables arranged near a stage, complete with poles to assist the dance moves the strippers would be performing. Even for such an early time of day, the interior was dark and smoky as workers milled around, taking down chairs and polishing the stage.
"Yeah?" a guy asked as she walked toward him, letting his eyes roam over her body.
"I'm here about a job," Buffy said, already feeling uncomfortable with this place.
"Hey, boss!" the guy yelled across the dim club. "Girl here- wants to be a stripper."
Buffy flushed in embarrassment as her eyes widened. "No," she said, shaking her head in denial. "No stripping. I, uh, I was wanting to apply as a bartender or…or something, but not a stripper."
"That's the only position we have open."
Turning toward the voice behind her, Buffy looked at the attractive man as she bit her lip.
"I'm Charles Gunn," he said, holding out his hand and giving her a warm smile when she shook it, immediately putting her at ease. "Call me Gunn. You want the job?"
"This may be a stupid question," she said softly. "But it's not like I'm very familiar with these types of clubs…does it pay well?"
"Ten bucks an hour, plus half of all tips you make," he said with a nod. "I take care of my girls…though, not in the physical sense," he added when he saw the panicked look on her face.
"Half the tips?"
"I get the other half. And you keep anything you make from lap dances."
She could almost feel the little bit of dignity that she eagerly clung to fade away, moving just out of her reach to regain it.
"If you make five hundred a night, you take home two fifty. Not bad for a few hours work," Gunn said.
"No, it's not," she said in a dejected voice. "I'll do it."
"Great. Start tonight, be here at ten."
The day seemed to fly by, against Buffy's will. Every time she looked at the clock, another hour seemed to pass until she was sitting in the dressing room, staring at her reflection in the mirror and not recognizing the girl that looked back at her.
Applying the smoky eye makeup and dark red lipstick, Buffy sighed, critiquing her reflection. Because of her 'youthful appearance', according to Gunn, she had been instructed on what to wear for her first night. The other girls that worked at the club enjoyed dressing her up for her performance. They were all surprisingly nice, each remembering what they had gone through when they started working at the club.
Straightening the short gray skirt and fidgeting with her white button-down shirt, Buffy stared in the mirror, seeing the young girl who didn't exist. The shirt was halfway unbuttoned, letting a red lace bra peek through the flimsy fabric. A matching thong was hidden beneath her skirt and her shoulder-length hair was pulled off her neck, secured with a clip.
"You look like Lolita," she muttered to herself, adding some more blush to her cheekbones, doing everything she could to keep from thinking of what the next step in this new 'career' was. Slipping on the high heels that the girls had picked out for her, Buffy slowly made her way to the entrance to the stage.
"You okay?" one of the girls, named Cordelia, asked, seeing Buffy's pale face as she looked at the entrance with trepidation.
"You're first night…did you think you couldn't do it?" Buffy asked, never making eye contact as she tried to control her breathing.
"It's hard your first night," Cordy said with a supportive smile. "It gets easier. And the money doesn't suck. What's the worst that could happen?"
"I could fall on my ass and get booed off the stage," Buffy said without missing a beat.
"I've been here over a year, and, trust me, these guys wouldn't boo anyone off that stage, let alone a cute little blonde who will feed each one of their perverted cheerleader fantasies."
"Ew," Buffy said, wrinkling her nose at the image of the slobs in the audience fantasizing about her in any type of intimate setting. It was bad enough that she would have to take off her clothes in front of these people- now she was feeling a different kind of violation.
"Just go with the music," Cordy continued. "Forget that anyone is watching and just pretend that you're having some fun at home."
'Home,' Buffy thought, suppressing a snort. 'What's that?'
"Thought of a stage name yet?" Cordy asked.
"Stage name?" she asked, feeling more panicked.
"Well, 'Buffy' would be a perfect name on its own, but you don't want these guys tracking you down during the day. It's too much of a hassle, and it's just easier all around if they knew you as something else."
"What's yours?"
"Cherry…I know, I know, it's a little cliché, but turns out those are the best names."
"Want to name me?" Buffy joked, feeling too nervous to think of any name, let alone a 'cliché'.
"Sure," Cordy said, looking out at the stage. "Bambi is available. The girl using it was the one who quit. Only fitting that you would be the one to use it since you have her job now."
"Works for me," Buffy muttered, seeing Gunn motion to her from across the stage.
"You're on."
Walking through the crowd, Buffy tried to get over the violated feeling that seemed to surround her. She had already made six hundred dollars from her first set and was now instructed to work the crowd for lap dances. She hated the idea of disappearing into one of the back rooms with a stranger, but Gunn had assured her that there would be a bouncer outside the door the entire time, and if anything happened, the customer would be taken care of.
Seeing her boss standing next to the bar with an intoxicated blonde, Buffy met his eyes before walking through the crowd, pasting a fake smile on her face and flirting with men who she assumed were regulars.
"Who's that?" Spike asked, a slight slur evident in his voice as he looked at the little blonde in the skimpy, red dress.
"New girl," Gunn told his friend. "Want an introduction? A little help to get over Drusilla?"
Normally Spike would prefer to continue drowning his troubles in the vast array of bottles set before him, but there was something about this girl that kept drawing him in. No matter where she was in the room, circulating and giving a winning smile to anyone who talked to her, a smile that Spike recognized as fake, his gaze seemed to gravitate toward her.
Leaning back against the bar, his eyes narrowed as he watched her smile falter when an overgrown ape stood up, leading her toward the back rooms.
"Yeah," he said, never taking his eyes off the blonde. "Set it up…I'll double whatever that guy is giving her."
"Fair enough," Gunn said, quickly making his way through the club and cutting them off before they got to the doorway.
Spike tilted his head, studying the young woman as her eyes darted to the bar before turning back to her boss. A smirk slowly played on his lips as he watched her. It was going to be an interesting night.
Watching as the blonde walked over to him, he let his smile widen. "Hello, cutie."
"Hi," she said with a shyness that she hoped was misconstrued as seductiveness. "You're supposed to go with me."
"Lead the way, Goldilocks," he said with a smirk, openly appraising her ass when she turned and led him to the back of the club. Walking behind her a few paces, Spike tilted his head and bit his lip as he watched her hips sway beneath the tight material.
Walking into the small room, Buffy bit her lip as Spike sat down on the couch, comfortably sprawled out as his gaze looked her up and down.
"Nervous?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he picked up on her little signals.
"No," she said too quickly, shaking her head.
"Come now, luv, you don't have to lie to me."
"This is just my first time in here," she said, biting her lip. "My first night."
Hearing the soft music start, he watched her posture go rigid before she forced herself to relax.
"You don't have to do anything you're uncomfortable with," Spike said, tilting his head to study her and feeling a strange need to protect this girl.
"Thanks," she whispered, taking a deep breath before walking over to him.
Spike eagerly complied when she took his hand in her smaller one and pulled him to his feet. "You kicking me out?" he asked with a smile, trying to put her at ease, briefly closing his eyes when she felt her hands rest on his hips.
"No," she said with a soft smile. "I just think it will be a little easier if we start standing…is that okay?"
"That's fine, kitten," he said in a soft voice that sent chills racing along her spine.
'This isn't right,' she thought, trying to suppress the shivers that his voice caused. 'You're not supposed to be attracted to the customers…even if they are unbelievably hot with amazing British accents and eyes that you could lose yourself in.'
Avoiding his eyes at the thought, Buffy slowly began moving her hips to the music. Her eyes widened when she felt his reaction to her body pressing against her. Running her hands along his chest, she refused to think of the muscles she encountered. Stepping back, she felt a rush go through her when his arms wrapped around her waist.
"Uh uh," she said with a playful smile, pushing him away. "No touching, remember?"
"Why not?" he asked with a pout, looking her up and down as she lifted the hem of her dress, giving him a better view of her tanned thighs.
"It's against the rules," she said with a smile.
"I don't like rules," he countered with a smirk.
"Then I can ask the nice bouncer outside to bounce you from the room," Buffy replied with a sweet expression.
Admitting defeat, Spike held his hands up in surrender before putting them behind his back. Closing his eyes as she gently put her hands on his stomach, he sighed when she pushed him down to the couch. Opening his eyes in time to see her shimmy out of her dress, moving to the beat of the music, he felt himself grow painfully hard as she stood before him.
Watching as she brazenly straddled his lap, Spike couldn't resist the urge to rest his hands on her hips, looking her up and down and taking in the exposed skin. Only her red scrap of a g-string offered any coverage on her body.
Gritting his teeth as she moved against him, Spike looked up at her with lust-filled eyes, suppressing the groan of desire as she writhed on his lap. Halting her movements for the time being, he felt his breathing escalate when her body automatically arched against his before she looked into his eyes.
"What's your name?" he asked in a raspy whisper, holding her up by her arms to look into her eyes.
"Bu…Bambi," she said, relaying her stage name.
"Your real name, luv."
"I don't think I should tell you," she said softly, trying to refrain from pressing her lips to his when she realized how close he was. 'No kissing, Summers,' she thought to herself. 'Dancing. That's it.'
"Tell me," he whispered, pulling her closer to run his tongue along her collarbone, tasting the salty skin and feeling his erection grow even harder, seeking her out.
"I can't," she murmured, grinding her hips against his and halting any further questions as she moaned and arched her body into his.
Clutching at her hips while she began moving on top of him, Spike marveled for a moment how this wasn't so much a 'dance' as it was 'shagging'. Their clothes were still on- well, his clothes were still on- but the intimacy of the moment was a shock to him.
Sitting up more and changing the angle of their movements, he smiled when Buffy cried out in pleasure as the new position caused her sensitive clit to push against his covered erection.
"Please, pet," he whispered, reaching for his belt. Her eyes widened for a brief moment before grabbing his wrists and holding them in a surprisingly strong grip.
"Can't," she murmured breathlessly, arching her back into him, allowing him to take a nipple into his mouth. Pulling a hand free from her grasp, Spike gently squeezed the other exposed breast, surprised when Buffy's hand covered his, increasing the pressure.
Squeezing his eyes shut when her arms wrapped around his neck, Spike listened to the soft cries of pleasure that came from her as she rode out her orgasm. Nothing could have surprised him more than the feel of her nearly-nude body pressed against his, clutching at him before his own climax overwhelmed him.
Holding onto her for a moment as he let his head fall to her shoulder, Spike slowly opened his eyes, trying to contemplate what just happened.
"Well, that was new," he whispered breathlessly, unable to move his head from her shoulder as he tried to regain his motor functions.
"It was?" she asked, gasping for air.
"For a woman to make me come in my pants, like I'm a teenager who doesn't know how to work his equipment? Yeah."
"That's a good thing, then?" Buffy asked, sitting back to look at him through hooded eyes.
"Bloody hell, woman, you have no idea what you do to me, do you?"
Choosing to ignore the question, Buffy sat up and turned to look over her shoulder at the clock that was hanging over the door. "I've gotta go," she whispered, reluctantly standing up.
"No," Spike said, grabbing her wrist before she could put her dress back on. "At least tell me your name…tell me when I can see you again."
"I don't think that's such a good idea," she said softly, pulling free of him and slipping her dress over her head before walking toward the door.
"Wait," he said, calling out to her before she could leave.
Watching as he reached for his wallet, Buffy bit her lip, feeling a mass of conflicting emotions run through her. Seeing him pull out a wad of bills from the leather, she took a step back, shaking her head.
"It's yours, pet," he said, offering her the money.
"Keep it," she muttered before quickly turning and fleeing the room, slamming the door behind her.
Spike stared at the door for a long moment before it opened again, revealing his friend.
"Well?" Gunn asked, leaning against the frame. "Was she worth it? Did you forget about your ex?"
Still staring out the door, Spike was barely listening to Gunn. "Who?"
"I take that as a 'yes' then."
Home Sweet Home
Waiting until Gunn walked into the dressing room, Buffy took a deep breath before approaching him.
"Anything I can do for you, Buffy?" he asked with a friendly smile.
"Um…I just wanted to let you know that I won't be able to keep this job," she said with a tentative smile.
"Really?" he asked, obviously disappointed. "Well, that's too bad. You have real potential, kid."
"Thanks…I think. And thank you for the job, but it's just not for me."
"Understandable. I hear that more than you'd think," Gunn said with a nod, reaching into his pocket and extracting some money. "Here you go."
"What's this?" she asked, taking the bills from him.
"Your cut from what you earned tonight. And a little extra bonus."
"Bonus?" she asked in confusion.
"You're a good kid, Buffy," he said with a smile. "It's hard enough to find a job. This way you can have a little extra."
Hugging the man in front of her that she'd only just met a few hours ago, Buffy felt overwhelmed by the generosity of a stranger as she felt tears come to her eyes when she pulled away. "Thank you," she whispered, giving him a smile when he helped her into her coat.
"Can I call you a cab?" he asked, walking her to the exit door.
"No, that's alright," Buffy replied. "I'm staying a few blocks away, so it's not a big deal. I'm just going to walk."
"Okay. Well, I'll see you around."
"Yeah. Thanks again, Gunn."
Walking out of the club, Buffy pulled her coat more securely around her, trying to offer some coverage against the chill in the air.
Shivering as an uneasy feeling crept over her, she hurried out of the alley, eager to get back to the motel and lock the door behind her.
Gasping when she felt her shoulders seized in a firm grip, Buffy's eyes widened in terror as she was pinned to a brick wall.
"Looking for a good time, baby?" the man asked. The scent of alcohol rolling off of him nearly had Buffy gagging as she turned her head, trying to figure out how to get away.
"No," she ground out through clenched teeth. "Leave me alone."
"Lucky for you, I know that with girls like you, 'no' means 'yes'," he said with a drunken leer, trying to find her lips.
Buffy cringed in repulsion, trying to fight the urge to regurgitate as his lips met her neck in a sloppy kiss.
"Let go of me!" she screamed, trying to jerk her arms out of his grasp as flashes of her past threatened to overwhelm her.
"If I were you, I would listen to the lady."
Hearing the voice of someone who, apparently, wanted to help her, Buffy's body nearly sagged in relief before remembering that she wasn't out of the woods yet.
"None of your concern," the man said, still holding Buffy against the wall as she struggled. "She's asking for it."
"I feel certain she wasn't."
"What do you know about it, grandpa?"
Closing the distance between them, Buffy's eyes widened as the older man swung, his fist connecting with the man's face.
"Quite a bit, actually," he replied.
She gasped as the man landed a solid hit to his jaw before the older man retaliated, throwing a punch with such force, it knocked the larger man to the ground.
"Are you alright?" he asked in concern, looking at Buffy with a worried expression.
"I'm fine," she replied, wincing in sympathy when she saw the painful expression on his face. "I'm more worried about you."
"I'll be fine," he said with a kind smile, looking at the man who was passed out on the ground. "Come along- I'll escort you where you need to go."
"Thank you," she said with a smile.
"I'm Rupert Giles, by the way. You can call me Giles."
"Buffy Summers," she replied, clutching her coat with one hand as she shook his offered hand.
"Where do you live?" he asked as they began walking through the darkened streets.
"Um…the Sun Spot Motel," she said, avoiding his eyes.
"You live in that rat-trap?" he asked in disbelief.
"Temporarily," she said softly.
"How long is 'temporarily'?"
"Until I can afford to move out," she said, looking down at her feet as they continued to walk.
"May I ask where you work?"
"Well…as of right now…nowhere," Buffy replied with a sheepish expression. "I kind of had to quit tonight. Conflict of interests or…more accurately, morals."
Giles seemed to contemplate her for a moment before speaking. "I own a shop in town. It's called the Magic Box. I was going to run an ad in the paper tomorrow, advertising that we need some help, but perhaps you would be willing to take the position?"
"You're serious?" she asked in disbelief.
"Absolutely," he said with a warm smile.
"That would be great," she said with a bright smile, her shoulders sagging in relief. "Are you sure you're not some kind of guardian angel?" she asked with a grin. "Rescue the girl and guarantee that she's alright?"
"Fairly certain," Giles said with a chuckle. "And if it's not too presumptuous, I have several available guest rooms in my house, if you're interested. Purely platonic offer, of course," he added when he saw her bite her lip in contemplation. "It's on a much safer side of town, and you wouldn't have to worry about running into lowlifes every night."
Buffy watched as he looked over his shoulder, reassuring himself that the man wasn't following them.
"And I won't be an imposition?" she asked nervously.
"My wife died several years ago," he said, earning a sympathetic look from Buffy. "My son is supposed to come back from England, where he's been living, but he hasn't graced me with his presence just yet," he continued, rolling his eyes at the mention of his wayward son. "He could come stumbling in at any time, but other than that, I live alone."
"Why would you want to take in a girl from the street? Especially one you just met?"
"I have good intuition about people," he said with a smile. "I'm not one to turn away someone who needs help."
"Do I really look that desperate?" she asked sadly.
"No," Giles said, shaking his head. "You look that lonely."
Buffy wasn't one to trust people when she first met them- she'd been burned too many times in the past to trust her intuition. But at the same time, there was something about this man that made her feel compelled to trust him. "That would be great," she agreed with a smile.
"If you want to get your things together, I'll go pick up my car. It's parked about a block away."
Nodding at Giles as she let herself into the hotel room, Buffy gathered her belongings. She kept an eye on the window, feeling a sense of relief when she saw Giles pull up to the motel in a sporty red car. A part of her had been worried that he would doubt his offer once he got some distance from the situation and would simply leave, but the bigger part of her knew that he was a man of his word.
Throwing the few belongings that were still laying out into her bag, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. "Are you actually doing this?" she muttered to herself. "You're going to live with a man you just met…"
Buffy trailed off, knowing that she would be safer with him than she ever had been with any of the other families she'd lived with in the past. Taking a deep breath, she threw her bag over her shoulder and opened the door as Giles was about to knock. He gave her a kind smile before taking her bag from her and leading her to the car.
Buffy never looked back. Maybe it was possible to start a new life.
Maybe.
Buffy stayed quiet throughout the short ride, watching with intent curiosity as Giles pulled in front of a large house and shut off the engine. "Home sweet home," he said with a friendly, contagious smile.
"I can't thank you enough for this, Giles," Buffy said gratefully.
"There's really no need to," he replied, getting out of the car and grabbing Buffy's bag out of the backseat before she could reach for it. Ever the gentleman.
Leading her toward the house, Giles quickly unlocked the front door and held it open for her
to enter first. Buffy's eyes widened at her first glimpse of the beautiful interior.
"This is amazing," she murmured, looking around. A spacious living room with a huge fireplace and flat-screen TV was to her left, complete with white leather couches and black accent furniture arranged around the room. She smiled when she saw the array of old books covering every flat surface. It kept the room from looking too much like a museum, giving it the appeal of a room that could be lived in and not just looked at.
Seeing an office filled with cherry, old-fashioned furniture to her right and the winding staircase that stood in front of her, Buffy barely comprehended when Giles responded to her appraisal of his home.
"I'm quite proud of it," he said with a wide smile before cringing at the obvious soreness that resided from the punch the other man had inflicted on him.
"How's your face?" Buffy asked, biting her lip and feeling guilty that this kind man was in pain because of her.
"Oh, still ruggedly handsome. 'Grandpa', indeed," he said with a small smile, reaching up to gently probe the skin. "Ow."
"I'm so sorry."
"Don't worry about it," he said with compassion evident in his eyes. "You did nothing wrong, and I couldn't leave you alone with that pillock to try and fend for yourself."
"Thank you," she said with a soft smile.
"Now, let me show you to your room. I'm sure you're exhausted from…"
Giles trailed off as he paused on the landing.
"Work?" he questioned, trying not to be too judgmental about her possible chosen profession as he remembered the strip club that opened into the alley he had found her in.
Buffy licked her suddenly dry lips and shook her head. "I-I don't work there…it was more of a…temporary, one night situation."
"I see," he replied, continuing the climb up the stairs. "How old are you, Buffy?"
"Nineteen," she lied, ducking her head in shame.
"Out of school, then?"
Buffy hesitantly nodded. She hated lying to this man, but she couldn't risk him finding out her past and being shoved back into the bottomless system that was social services. He had been so generous, but she could never work two jobs and go to school. And she certainly didn't want to outstay her welcome after he showed her so much kindness in such a short span of time.
Giles showed her into a beautiful bedroom that was three times the size of her bedrooms in the past. A queen-sized bed stood against one wall with a matching dresser, chest, and desk, completing the look. Plush carpetting covered the floors, and the look was topped off by a window-seat covered with throw pillows. The entire room was done in soft shades of blues and purples, accentuated by the soft cream-colored carpet and dark wood
"I hope this is acceptable."
"Acceptable?" Buffy echoed, staring in awe as she took in the huge windows and walk-in closet. "It's…I can't even think how to describe it," she said with a soft smile, slowly walking through the room, feeling as if she was in shock.
"Well…I'll let you get some rest. You can spend tomorrow settling in, and then we'll discuss you joining the staff at the Magic Box."
"Thank you so much…"
Buffy trailed off when she heard the front door open and close with a slam before loud, drunken yelling filled the house. She involuntarily shrunk back against the wall as Giles excused himself and hurried down the stairs.
Buffy took a deep, steadying breath before walking toward the open door and shamelessly eavesdropping on the not-so-quiet conversation.
"William?"
"How many times have I told you? It's Spike," she heard a man reply in a bitter voice, her eyes widening at the familiarity of the younger British accent. There was definitely more alcohol slurring his words, but there was no mistaking who the man was.
"I went out looking for you tonight. Where the bloody hell have you been?" Giles asked, obviously concerned.
"Isn't that obvious, Pops? I was getting hammered and having a damn good time of it, too, if I do say so myself. Best time I've had in a while," he said with a secretive smile, thinking of the blonde.
"For heaven's sake, keep your voice down. We're not the only ones here."
"Entertaining a lady friend, are we, Da'?" he slurred.
"For your information, no, I was not 'entertaining' anyone. There is going to be a young woman staying here until she can get back on her feet," Giles informed his errant son, growing more frustrated as the seconds ticked by.
"Always the Good Samaritan, aren't you?" he asked in a deprecating tone.
"Look, William, I know you're upset about Drusilla-"
"Don't!"
Buffy cringed at the hostility in the other man's voice as well as the mention of another woman.
"Don't even say her name," Spike replied in a menacing tone.
"Relationships come and go-"
"You think I don't bloody well know that?" he asked in a loud voice. "For your information, I didn't get pissed because of Drusilla…alright, I started to because of her, but she wasn't the only woman in the factor tonight."
"William, you said if you came home, you would-"
"Oh, bugger this!" Spike interrupted, climbing the stairs and gripping the banister for support. "I don't need a pep talk from my soddin' father, alright? I came back here so I could get away from everything, not to have it follow me across the pond, so leave it alone, Giles."
Giles sighed as Spike disappeared up the stairs. He briefly thought about checking on Buffy but decided against it. She seemed a little jumpy, and he didn't want to add to that by crowding her. He would explain the situation that involved his wayward son in the morning and leave her to relax tonight.
Thirty minutes later, Buffy walked out of the bathroom. It was then, with her face freshly scrubbed, hair pulled back in a ponytail and wearing her yummy sushi pajamas, that she ran into Spike.
Jumping when she literally ran into him outside the door, she bit her lip as nerves seemed to take her over. She was sure he had been asleep when she made a dash for the bathroom. Her eyes widened as he calmly looked her up and down before raising an eyebrow. "You're the 'houseguest'?" he asked her.
"That's me," Buffy said, nervously fidgeting with the hem of her pajama top, studying him carefully as he continued to look at her.
"Well…when Dad said young woman, I didn't think that would mean…"
"Mean…what?" Buffy asked.
"Nothing, pet."
"Mean what?" she pushed.
"I didn't think that would mean he'd get some hot little chit that doesn't look a day over seventeen," he replied, pinching the bridge of his nose as he began to sober up. Buffy flushed a bright red, looking away in embarrassment. "Do I know you?" he asked, looking at her again.
Buffy felt short of breath when she realized he didn't remember her. Either it was the alcohol messing with his brain or…she wasn't that memorable. Looking down as the thought flitted through her brain, she slowly shook her head. "Um…no…no, I don't think so."
"Okay," he muttered before walking past her. "Oh, I'm Spike, by the way."
"Nice to meet you," she replied in a tight voice. Her heart flipped in her chest when he took her hand in his and left a gentle kiss on it. This definitely wasn't the behavior of the sex-god she'd met at the club just hours before.
"Pleasure to meet you," he said with a soft smile, looking at her through hooded eyes before closing the bathroom door.
Turning and walking back to her bedroom, Buffy didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She had never felt better or worse in her entire life.
Getting To Know You
Opening her eyes as the sunlight warmed her face, Buffy stretched contentedly, enjoying the fact that she actually had the space to stretch in the luxurious bed as the satin sheets wrapped around her. She couldn't remember a time when she felt this safe. Slowly sitting up, she let the down comforter fall away, smiling as she looked around the room.
'I can't believe I'm this lucky,' she thought, biting her lip to restrain from giggling. 'This time yesterday, I was waking up in a fleabag motel with the wonderful prospects of being a stripper lying ahead of me.'
Climbing out of bed, Buffy grabbed some clean clothes out of the huge closet that wasn't even partially filled with her belongings before walking across the hall to the bathroom. Tucking away some of the loose strands that had fallen loose from her ponytail while she was sleeping, she yawned as she shut the bathroom door behind her.
Quickly going through her morning routine, Buffy relaxed as she stepped under the hot shower, letting the steam and spray soothe her tense muscles. Lathering and rinsing her hair with shampoo and conditioner, Buffy closed her eyes, leaning into the water.
Feeling a draft of cool air wrap around her body, her eyes snapped open seconds before a shriek erupted from her as she saw Spike standing in front of her, a perplexed expression on his handsome face. Shutting off the water and grabbing the towel from the shower rod, Buffy eagerly wrapped it around herself, still feeling naked under his gaze.
"God, don't you knock?" she asked in irritation.
"You're…from last night…you…"
Sighing as she bit her lip and avoided his eyes. "Yeah…we met last night."
"I don't mean here," he said, obviously struggling to get over his hangover as he watched her. "The strip club."
"Yes," Buffy said softly, not seeing the point in lying to him since he obviously remembered. "That was me. Now can we get back to my little inquiry- don't you knock?"
"Sorry, pet," he said with an easy smirk. "Didn't know anyone else was in here. And it's not like I haven't seen it before."
"Different situation," she said through gritted teeth. "And there has to be a million bathrooms in this place, and you just happen to walk into the one with the naked girl in the shower?"
"Look, I'm sorry, alright? But my Da usually starts a shower for me in the morning when he knows I'll have a hangover. And…don't know why you're so dainty all of a sudden. After last night…"
"That was different ," she said, growing tired of his insistence. "It's not like I walk around naked on a daily basis."
"Wouldn't complain if you did," Spike replied, biting his lip as his gaze perused her towel-clad form. "Definitely no harm in showing off that body."
Flushing under his gaze, Buffy quickly grabbed her clothes and ran out of the bathroom.
Slamming the door of her bedroom, she breathed heavily as she leaned against it.
'How am I supposed to make it through this?' she thought, looking around the room. 'I have a new place to live, a new job, and the one mistake that I made when I came into this town has somehow tracked me down…and not even on purpose!'
Closing her eyes for a moment, Buffy tried to get her thoughts in order before pushing away from the door and quickly dressing in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. She had the need to be completely covered, subconsciously hoping to counteract the memories of her being practically naked the night before and writhing in a stranger's lap. A stranger who, as it turned out, would be living down the hall from her.
Pulling her damp hair into a bun, Buffy's eyes widened when she saw the door open in the reflection of the mirror. Busying herself with her appearance, she ignored Spike as he walked in, shutting the door behind him and leaning against it. Tucking away the loose tendrils that were too short to make their way back to the elastic band, she concentrated on her breathing as she felt his eyes on her, watching her every move. Putting lotion on her hands, she finally met his eyes in the mirror and sighed.
"What?" she asked in irritation.
"Wondering if I could get a repeat performance of last night, pet," he said with an easy smile, crossing his arms over his chest in a relaxed stance.
"Not gonna happen," she replied, straightening the sparse items on her dresser as she avoided him. Never seeing him cross the room, she nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt his arms wrap around her waist. Raising her eyes to the mirror, she felt as if her heart was trying to jump out of her chest as she met his gaze. "Listen…the girl that you met last night…she wasn't me. I mean, she was, but…she was a version of me I don't really want to relive."
Watching as Spike slowly stepped back and turned her around to face him, Buffy gave him a tentative smile as she looked into his eyes.
"You understand…right?" she asked nervously.
"In other words- last night never happened."
"In a nutshell," she said with a halfhearted smile.
"Don't know how I feel about that, pet," Spike said, studying Buffy as her face paled. Closing his eyes for a moment, he sighed before nodding. "Fine. Never happened."
"Thank you," she whispered. "And…it's not that…I mean, I had a good time, but…it just can't happen again. Kind of a one-shot deal. Not offering any repeat performances."
"Not even for willing customers?" he asked with a smile.
"Especially not for willing customers," she said with an answering smile.
"Good to know," Spike said, backing away from her and walking toward the door before snapping his fingers and turning around. "One more thing, pet."
"Yeah," she asked, turning to look at him in apprehension.
"What's your name?"
Giggling softly, she looked into his warm eyes. "It's Buffy."
Spike studied her carefully for a moment. "You're serious?"
"Yes," she said with a smile. "My name is Buffy."
Crossing the room, Spike repeated his move from the previous night, gently taking her hand in his and leaving a soft kiss on it. "Nice to meet you, Buffy."
"It's fairly simple," Giles said as he showed Buffy around the Magic Box the next day. "All you really need to know is where everything is located and how to properly work the cash register. William will be working most of your shifts for the time being, and if he's not here, then I will be."
"I think I can handle it, Giles," Buffy said with a friendly smile, looking around the shop. She felt a blush rise to her cheeks when her eyes met Spike's. He was sitting at the large table on one side of the store, his feet kicked up onto the flat surface, idly flipping through one of the books. He gave Buffy a slow smirk when he saw her cheeks redden and raised an eyebrow suggestively, smiling when she turned around so she wouldn't have to face him.
"Well, I best be off. If you need anything, Spike can help you. It's been a few years, but I'm sure he remembers everything, don't you, son?"
"Yeah, Dad," he replied, never looking up from the book, although to Buffy, it sounded like he didn't even hear the question.
"Alright, my number is next to the phone if you need anything. It should be a fairly slow night, so you don't have anything to worry about."
'Except your incredibly hot son who I practically screwed the other night,' Buffy thought, biting her lip as she glanced at Spike.
"Spike, are you able to take Buffy home, or shall I make time to pick her up?"
Spike smirked at the young woman before answering his father. "I think I'll be able to take care of her."
Buffy blushed, biting her lip as she averted her eyes.
"Very good," Giles said with a smile, obviously unaware of the innuendo in his son's voice. "I'll see you both at home."
"Bye, Giles!" Buffy said a little louder than intended as her nervousness took over. This was the first time she would be alone with Spike since the previous day and she didn't know if she'd be able to make it the next few hours without acting on her urges that were trying to make themselves known.
Giles turned to wave before he walked out the door, leaving the two blondes alone. Buffy took a shaky breath before looking around for a place to sit. She started to walk over to the stool that was sitting next to the cash register when she heard Spike's voice.
"You can sit over here, luv. I don't bite…much. Course you knew that already, didn't you?" he finished with a smirk.
"I'm fine here," she muttered, running her hand along the edge of the counter- doing anything to keep her mind off the infuriating man she was trapped with.
"Come on, Buffy. Was only teasing. Come sit down."
'Be cool, you can do this,' she thought to herself, pushing herself away from the counter before turning to walk back to the table.
Sitting rigidly in her seat and letting her fingertips trail over the cover of one of the many books sitting in front of her, Buffy avoided the strong gaze that she knew was directed her way. "I probably should have asked this the other night, but I can always blame it on the alcohol," Spike said with a smile, tossing his book on the table with a 'thump.' "Or the incredibly hot woman in my company," he continued with a smile, causing a faint blush to rise to Buffy's cheeks. "How old are you, Goldilocks?"
"Nineteen," she replied softly, feeling guilty for lying- especially to Spike.
"University?"
Buffy shook her head 'no', never taking her eyes off the books in front of her as she bit her lip, trying not to let her nerves show.
"What are you planning on doing?"
"I-I don't know," she murmured.
'Survive,' the voice in her head spoke up. 'Above all else- survive.'
"I'm just trying to find my way right now," she said softly, finally looking up at his penetrating gaze and feeling her stomach flip.
"Understandable," Spike replied, standing up and walking over to a shelf to look at some of the merchandise.
"What about you?" Buffy asked, hoping to shift the topic of conversation away from her and the fact that her checkered past was still lurking beneath the surface.
"What about me?" Spike asked, turning around with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, it didn't sound like you lived with your dad."
"Eavesdropping the other night, were you?" he asked with a smirk.
"N-no…I just…well…"
"Relax, pet," he said, sitting down in the chair next to her. "I would have done the same thing. And I've been in England."
The tone in his voice changed as he muttered the last part. "I've always wanted to go there," she said with a smile, changing the direction of the conversation.
"You'd love it," Spike said, letting a genuine smile cross his face when he saw her smile. "It's a lot better than Sunnyhell, that's for sure."
"It's not so bad here," she said softly, avoiding his eyes once again.
Spike tilted his head, studying her for a moment. "Where are you from, luv?"
"Oh, um…you wouldn't know it…it's a small town," Buffy said, standing up and keeping her back to him as she straightened an already neat shelf, moving the trinkets around to keep her hands busy. She jumped when she felt him right behind her.
"Why do I get the feeling that you're not being completely honest with me?"
"What if I'm not?" Buffy countered, turning around to face him. "Is that your business?"
"Maybe not," Spike said, his eyes darting from her eyes to her full lips. "But considering I pay for a lap dance at a strip club and then you just show up and move in with my father, I think I have a right to figure out whether he's welcomed a con artist into his happy home."
A brief frown marred her pretty features as she shook her head. "First of all- you didn't pay for anything," she said, her voice choked as she remembered the other night and it's lasting affects on her self-worth. "And if you really want to know…I'm just looking for a fresh start…that's all ," she murmured, revealing more of herself with that simple sentence than she wanted to, but it was too late to take it back now.
Spike tilted his head, his brow furrowed as he watched her closely. "A fresh start from what?"
"I-I really don't…"
Buffy pushed by him, hoping to get some distance from him and her previous comment, but Spike grabbed her arm.
"What is it, Buffy?"
"Spike, it's nothing," she said with a fake smile that usually worked wonders, but he seemed to look right through it.
"Buffy-"
"Just leave it alone," she said sharply before softening her voice. "Please, Spike, just leave it alone."
"I can't do that," he replied in a quiet tone. "I can't just-"
He was silenced as Buffy threw her arms around his neck and pulled his lips to hers in a rough kiss. It was a last, frantic effort before she knew that she would tell him everything…and she wasn't ready to tell him everything. She wanted it to stay buried, locked away where she would never have to remember.
Spike was stunned by the kiss but eagerly banded his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. They each battled with the other, their tongues frantically dueling. Buffy pulled back slightly to nip at his bottom lip, eliciting a moan from him before he pinned her to the nearby wall, delving into her mouth once again and taking what he had so desperately wanted the night he first met her.
The sound of the bell above the door separated them. Breathing heavily, they looked at each other with lust-filled eyes. Their lips were both swollen and red, and Spike's eyes were drawn to her heaving chest.
"I better go help them," she whispered, looking at the customers who were now browsing the front of the store. She needed the distance from this man who was awakening something inside of her that she never knew existed. It was one thing to have a meaningless encounter with him, but the kiss had provoked something.
She didn't want to feel.
She wanted to stay numb.
She wanted to do whatever it took to walk away from her past and never let it come back to her.
Spike watched, still in shock, as Buffy turned and walked to the front of the store. His breathing soon regulated, but he couldn't take his eyes off of her.
'Bloody hell,' he thought, narrowing his eyes slightly as he studied her. 'After nearly shagging her, who would have thought her kiss could do nearly as much to me?'
Buffy glanced back at him, biting her lip nervously.
'I wonder if he forgot what we were talking about,' she thought. 'Because I sure as hell did.'
Locked Up
Luckily for Buffy, there had been a steady flow of customers in the store for the rest of the night, giving her the opportunity to avoid Spike for most of the shift. Now that the story was closing, she watched with trepidation as Spike locked the door after the last customer walked out.
'Why is there so much symbolism with the simple turn of a lock?' Buffy thought with a gulp. She quickly busied herself with counting the money in the register, fighting the shiver that raced down her spine when she felt Spike walk over to stand behind her, obviously enjoying the affect he was having on her.
"Shouldn't you be doing something?" she asked in exasperation after a few minutes of feeling his eyes on her.
"I am," he said with a smirk, hopping up on the counter to watch her.
"Yeah," Buffy said, rolling her eyes. "It looks like you're doing a wonderful job of doing nothing. I'm sure your dad couldn't wait to let you work. You're making one hell of an employee," she said sarcastically.
"Thank you," Spike replied, running his tongue along the inside of his cheek, causing Buffy to blush and look away. "We going to talk about what happened earlier or not?"
"My vote- not."
"Come on, Buffy," he said in a voice that was far too seductive for Buffy's comfort level.
"Spike, it was nothing," she replied, counting the money in her hand for the third time, hoping to be able to focus on it. "We did more than that the other night and that was…it was nothing, alright?"
"It didn't feel like nothing," he responded with a raised eyebrow.
Buffy sighed, abandoning the money to go turn off the lights in the front of the store.
Spike kicked his legs over the counter, following her movements before hopping down and walking after her.
"We have to talk," he said, watching as she stopped walking with a sigh.
"About what?" she asked, turning to face him with an exasperated expression on her face.
"We kissed, Buffy."
"So?" she replied, turning around and walking away again as she felt Spike right behind her, following her every step of the way.
"We…we kissed, you and me. All Gone With The Wind , with the rising music, and the rising…music, and what was that, Buffy?"
"A spell?" she replied with a smirk, gesturing around the shop and reminding him that they were in a magic shop.
Spike rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't get all prim and proper with me."
"I wasn't, I was just…Spike, it was fun, but…"
Trailing off as she turned off the lights, Buffy felt her breathing escalate when she felt Spike's body press against hers. Images automatically started rushing through her brain as she remembered the feel of him the other night as she moved on top of him. Briefly wondering what it would be like to have both of them naked in bed together, she let her eyes close.
"Spike, don't," she whispered, not sure if she would be able to turn him down if she looked into his eyes. Taking a deep breath, she summoned all of her courage and walked toward the back, hoping to get some distance between them.
"Buffy-"
"Can we go?" she asked, throwing all of the money haphazardly into the cash box and straightening it as best as she could before handing it to Spike.
He sighed but took the box into the office to put in the safe as Buffy clocked out.
"You ready?" he asked, meeting her at the back door. Seeing her nod and give him a soft smile when he held the door open for her, he let himself relax a little bit.
The car ride was made in strained silence before Spike flipped on the CD player. The Ramones quickly filled the interior, and Buffy was able to breathe a sigh of relief that he obviously wasn't going to bring up the subject again.
Buffy liked Spike…she really liked Spike, but she couldn't risk getting close to anyone. Shutting down was the best and only defense mechanism she had, but it didn't make the loneliness any easier to bear.
Spike kept a close eye on Buffy as he drove. He knew there was something that she wasn't telling him, and he didn't expect her to open up to a virtual stranger…but he would have preferred if she did.
"You okay?" he asked after a few minutes.
Buffy's head snapped around to face him. "Yeah," she said a little too quickly.
Spike nodded, not believing her for a second. "You seem a little quiet."
"That's just me," she said softly.
Spike chuckled. "I highly doubt that," he said as they pulled into the driveway. "In fact- I know for a fact that you're not quiet."
Feeling her cheeks flame red, Buffy tried to keep the pout from forming on her bottom lip. "I'm not much for conversations," she said, choosing to rephrase.
"I highly doubt that as well."
Seeing the more pronounced pout as she turned toward him, Spike swallowed, fighting the urge to kiss her when it didn't disappear.
"Why's that?" she asked.
"You just don't seem like the shy type."
"You've known me for a little more than a day and you think you know what 'type' I am?"
"First of all- I think I'm more intimately aware of who you are than most people," he said, trying to smother the chuckle as her eyes narrowed on him. "And it's not like it's too hard to figure you out," he responded with a shrug.
"You'd be surprised," Buffy muttered, getting out of the car and leaving Spike to wonder what she meant.
He caught her as she walked into the house, lowering his voice so they didn't wake his father. "Look, I know we're not the best of friends or anything, but I want you to know that if you need to talk…"
"You're volunteering?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, her cynical nature shining through. "Or are you just hoping for a 'repeat performance'?"
"I'm volunteering," Spike said, taking a deep breath. He was about to say more when it all became too much for him. The soft eyes teamed with the skeptical expression and the kiss that was still etched in his memory. Grabbing her arms and crushing her body to his, he eagerly smashed his lips onto hers. Buffy gasped but quickly parted her lips, moaning when his tongue brushed against hers. The kiss was more passionate than the one they'd shared a few hours ago, and she soon found herself drowning in him.
They battled for dominance, Spike's hands abandoning her arms to grasp her hips and push her against the wall. Buffy gripped his face, pulling him closer and grinding her body against his.
Spike moaned, his entire body tensing, trying to control his lust as it raged through his veins. Their lips slowly separated as their eyes opened. Gasping for breath, Spike leaned into her again, seeking out her softness, but she evaded his touch. Slipping under his arm, Buffy grasped the banister in her hand, her heart still pounding with unfulfilled desire.
"I better…"
She never finished as she turned and ran up the stairs, leaving a very confused and very sexually frustrated Spike behind her.
He ran a shaky hand through his hair, wondering how this girl could affect him so much when he had only known her for such a short time.
Buffy groaned when she saw Spike walk through the door of the Magic Box.
'This was supposed to be a fresh start,' she thought to herself. 'How can I start fresh if everything I do, comes back to haunt me?'
Of course it wasn't everything. Buffy knew that, since she was successfully blocking out the rest of her past.
It was Spike.
Buffy had been able to avoid him for a few days, and she thought tonight was another success. She and Giles had gotten to know each other a little more, with only a few fibs on her end, and she was enjoying the feeling of having a father figure again. A feeling that she hadn't had in years. Now it was getting close to closing time, and Spike had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
"Hey, Dad," he greeted with a bright smile. "Why don't you take the rest of the night off? I don't have anything better to do, and you've been working hard lately."
Buffy rolled her eyes at the overly helpful son that he was trying to be. Obviously Giles was buying into it as he smiled.
"Thank you, William. I think I might just take you up on that offer. But you worked this afternoon, are you sure you won't mind?"
Spike glanced at Buffy before shaking his head. "Won't mind at all."
Silently pleading with Giles to stay, Buffy sighed when, apparently, he wasn't hearing her inner monologue as he grabbed his coat. "Not much to do tonight. There are some boxes that need to be moved down to the basement, and the items on the table down there need to be displayed for tomorrow, but that can be done after everything's closed for the night."
"No problem," Spike replied, smiling at Buffy. "We can handle it."
Spike surprisingly left her alone for half an hour. It was to the point that Buffy was starting to worry that she was just a way to relieve the tension a few days ago and nothing more. He had agreed to not mention the night at the strip club, but the kiss- both of them, were still burned in her memory.
'Was I just an available outlet?' she wondered, biting her lip as she straightened a shelf. 'Was I just convenient?'
It didn't occur to her that Spike was using the tactic of ignoring her, for the very reason of getting Buffy to re-think the situation.
They stayed quiet as she counted the money and Spike locked the door, idly straightening a few things before wandering over to the counter, still staying quiet.
"What?" Buffy finally asked sharply after he stared at her for a few minutes.
Spike clucked his tongue and shook his head. "Quite a temper on you, isn't there?" he asked with a smile.
"Why are you here, Spike?" she asked with a sigh, turning back to the money and attempting to recount it.
"Thought we could spend some quality time together," he said with a smile.
"Yeah, that never really ends well, does it?" she replied, glancing up at him.
"It did the other night," he replied in a husky voice.
"You really seem awfully fixated on a couple of kisses, Spike," she said before grabbing a box and walking toward the basement.
"And you seem awfully quick to forget about them," he said after a moment, quickly picking up another box and following her down the stairs.
Buffy put down the box before turning back to him and crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't know if you wanted it to mean more, especially after the first night we…met. But it was just a mistake…every time." Seeing the dejected look on his face turn to amusement, she continued, "Look. I'm sorry, okay? I'm…I'm sorry if you thought that it meant more."
"But…"
"But…when I kissed you…you know we can't do this because of Giles, right?"
A frustrated expression crossed Spike's face. "You know, you better be more careful. I'm starting to wonder about you two."
"What?" she asked before making a face. "Oh, gross, Spike! He's your father. He took me in and I'm not going to do anything with his son."
"Too late," he replied with a smirk.
"Spike, please," she said with pleading eyes. "I've just uprooted my whole life, ergo vulnerability and…and bad kissing decisions."
Spike glowered at the terminology she was using.
"Okay, but that's all that it was. You have to let it go."
'Even though that's the last thing I want,' Buffy thought with a sigh. She just couldn't risk getting close to him. Staying closed off would keep her safe.
"Did it work?" he asked with a smirk.
"What?" she asked in confusion.
"You convince yourself?"
Spike watched as a sad look crossed Buffy's face. "Please, stop," she whispered.
"I'll stop if you'll at least consider that there's something going on between us."
"There was something going on between us, but that's done."
"Not good enough," he replied, crossing his arms over his chest as his eyes narrowed on her.
"Fine," Buffy said, walking back up the stairs. "I'll consider…uh oh."
Spike frowned, following her. "What's uh oh?"
Twisting the knob and throwing her shoulder against the door, she cringed when it didn't budge. "I think we're locked in."
Spike moved past her, mimicking her actions and sighing when it refused to open. 'Well, this should be an interesting night.'
Half an hour later, both Spike and Buffy were sitting side by side with their backs to the wall, each nursing their sore shoulders and laughing about it.
"You'd think we would have learned the first few times we ran into it," Spike said with a chuckle, rolling his arm in a wide circle to try and ease the aching muscles.
"Especially me," Buffy muttered, wincing as she ran her hand over her arm. "What was I thinking? If you couldn't get it to open, what good would I do?"
Spike laughed, gently leaning over to playfully nudge against her, careful not to jar her shoulder anymore.
"How long before your dad realizes we didn't come home?" she asked after a moment, looking over at him and seeing, for the first time, how close he was.
"Well…considering he never knew when I used to sneak in when I was a teenager, I'm guessing…tomorrow morning."
"Wonderful," she muttered, but her tone was counteracted with a smile.
"You seem a little happier than I would have thought," Spike said, turning to face her and feeling short of breath when he noticed that they were separated by inches.
Briefly closing her eyes as her heart sped up, Buffy leaned forward and let her lips brush against his. It was something she needed to do. Sudden and impulsive, but something she knew she wouldn't regret.
Slowly pulling back from the chaste kiss, Buffy gasped when Spike grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap. His fingers ran through her hair, guiding her lips back to his and holding her in place.
Buffy moaned, quickly deepening the kiss, her hands running through his hair, pulling him closer to her and grinding her hips against his. Spike broke away, gasping for air and trying to control himself, not knowing how far she wanted to take this.
"Buffy, we better stop."
"Don't want to stop," she whispered, bringing their lips together again.
Spike's last semblance of control snapped, whipping her shirt over her head and barely separating from her. Buffy felt a shred of self-consciousness make itself known when he quickly removed her bra, but it was short lived as she remembered he'd already seen her more naked than this. Feeling his hands moved to her breasts and gently caressing them, she felt short of breath as her body arched against his.
Needing more contact with him as she quickly unbuttoned his shirt, running her nails along the smooth muscles that were exposed. Spike nearly lost control when he felt her body press against his.
Breaking away from his lips, Buffy stood and pulled him up with her before shedding the rest of her clothes. Spike reached into his pocket and extracted his wallet when he felt her hand cover his.
"Are you safe?"
"Yeah," he replied in a husky whisper.
She took the wallet and tossed it on the growing pile of clothes. "I'm on the pill," she said, seconds before fusing her lips to his, her hands working on his belt and shoving his pants down his legs.
Spike barely had a chance to register what was happening as he lifted her in his arms and thrust inside of her in one smooth motion. Their lips separated as they looked at each other. Spike wanted to memorize everything about this moment, knowing that nothing else had ever or would ever feel this right.
Buffy obviously didn't want to slow down as she frantically arched her body against his. "Let's take it slow, luv," he whispered, almost laughing at how absurd that sounded, considering they were already connected in the most intimate way possible.
"I-I don't want to," she whispered, urging him to move with her.
"I don't want to hurt you," he murmured, trying to slow her down.
"Don't worry," she said with a smile. "It won't bother me."
Spike frowned but quickly lost his train of thought when she used her legs to rise up and sink back down on him.
'No, no, no, this is wrong…no…you're not supposed to enjoy this…you don't deserve to have this,' she thought, fighting the tears in her eyes.
Pinning her against the wall, Spike frantically pumped into her, nearly falling over the edge when he heard her moans of pleasure urging him to go faster and harder.
"Buffy, I don't-"
"Please, Spike," she begged, meeting each of his thrusts with bruising force.
Spike took a deep breath before slamming into her with more strength, feeling her inner muscles clench around him as she climaxed, screaming his name while her entire body froze in pleasure.
"God, you're amazing," he rasped, thrusting into her a few more times before his body tensed as he shook with his own orgasm.
Gasping for breath, Spike rested his head on her shoulder, feeling her heartbeat reverberating to him.
Pulling back, he felt his body nearly paralyze with panic when he saw the tears shimmering in her eyes. "Buffy, what's wrong? Did I hurt you?"
Shaking her head, Buffy tried to forget the memories that were wanting to resurface as she tried to get lost in Spike's embrace. Burrowing closer to him and not letting him pull free, she sniffled before looking into his eyes. "Will you just kiss me?"
Spike frowned but let his lips brush against hers in a tender kiss, his hands running through her hair as he held her, trying to communicate everything that he was feeling. He knew there was something wrong, but he also had a feeling that it wasn't his fault. Letting his tongue meet hers in a gentle caress, he felt her relax in his arms. He decided that now wasn't the time for a serious talk. Now it was time for comfort, and he was more than willing to give it to her.