“So, what happened last night?” Spike brushed the dust of a fallen vampire off his jacket and looked at Buffy just as she was just staking another.

When the vampire disintegrated, she stood up and shook her hair, coughing as ashes fell from it and waving her hand back and forth to clear the air. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

They fell in step next to each other as they continued through the park. It was awkward between them. The previous night of kissing had left them both unsure of what to do and full of questions and doubts. Most of the evening had been shared in silence… which left the impression on each that the other regretted what happened.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Both of them had wanted to greet the other with a kiss but mixed signals and two vampires thwarted it. Now there was nothing but quiet, so Spike cleared his throat. “Is there anything you do want to talk about?”

Buffy glanced at him hopefully and glanced away just as quickly, sliding her stake into her waistband. She did want to talk. She desperately wanted to know if their kiss had meant anything to him and why he was so distant. However, she had Slayer pride and wasn’t going to admit that. “Uh…no. You?”

“Nah.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets and shrugged. If she didn’t want to be close to him and discuss anything then he’d be damned if he tried. “We’ll just, er…keep patrolling.”

“Quietly.” Buffy added. “Because we don’t want to talk.”

“Right. Nothing to say.” He fidgeted and tried not to think about how much he would love a cigarette. Thinking led to wanting which led to Buffy which led to thinking of wanting Buffy. < How did I get that? I wish I were dead! > He growled low in his throat and kicked a rock as hard as he could, not realizing that Buffy had moved in front of him.

“OW!” She screamed and dropped down to clutch her ankle. “What the hell did you do that for?”

Spike’s eyes widened when he saw a thin line of blood trickling down from under her hand and into her shoe. “Cor, Slayer! I didn’t know that you were there.”

“What? You suddenly went blind?” She snapped, trying to massage away the pain.

“How bad is it?” He asked, kneeling beside her and reaching to pull her hand away.

“It’s fine!” Buffy pushed his hand back and added, “Just leave me alone.”

“What the hell is your problem?” Spike shouted, yanking her to her feet. “I said it was an accident! I’m sorry!”

“Oh? And was it an accident that you kissed me?” She shouted back at him. “Are you sorry for that too?”

“What?” He loosened his grip on her but didn’t let her go. Surely she didn’t think that.

“You can’t just kiss someone and act like it never happened!” Buffy was furious. It didn’t matter that he had almost severed her foot from her body. What mattered was the fact that she wanted him to hold her and kiss her and … be everything he wasn’t going to be because he was a jerk.

“And what does this have to do with me checking to see if your ankle is okay?” He squatted down and tried to pull her leg into his lap so he could look.

As soon as he had her leg, she kicked him backwards, causing him to let go of her to brace his fall. “You asked me what my problem was and there you have it.”

He shot back to his feet and grabbed her roughly by the shoulders. “You know what your problem is?”

“Enlighten me with your stupid opinion, Spike. What is my problem?” She narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms.

“You are so damn scared of being happy that you can’t realize it when you actually are.” He replied. “Like last night, you said there are no happy endings but there can be! You’re just too spoiled and arrogant to let anyone show you!”

“Whatever!” She cried. “You think you know everything about everything just because you’re as old as dirt. Well, you don’t know! You don’t know how I feel or what I want.”

“You’re scared! You scared of getting close and losing people and you want a normal life. Guess what, kid? You’re never going to have a normal life and instead of resenting it, you should make the most of it.”

“Make the most of what?”

“What you could have if you didn’t have your head shoved so far up your ass!”

She shook his hands off her shoulders and spun on her heel to walk away. Unfortunately, her foot had another plan and twisted at an odd angle, causing her to fall. Her blood began to boil when he chuckled behind her. She didn’t even bother looking at him when she said, “Go to hell, Spike.”

Still laughing, he put his hands under her arms and lifted her. “Come on, luv. Let me take you home.”

“Let me go!” Buffy sunk her elbow into his midsection, causing him to double over and drop her again. She landed with a thud. “Damn you, Spike!”

“YOU DID IT!” He roared, his demon surfacing. “You are the most infuriating little shit I have ever met!”

“And you are the most annoying and…mean asshole I have ever met.” Buffy got to her feet on her own and faced him.

He stalked into her face and shouted, “I’m only mean when you’re a little shit. Is it my fault that you’re a little shit ALL THE FUCKING TIME!?”

“I hate you!” Buffy exclaimed, trying to push past him.

“You only hate me because you want me so damn much!” He blocked her, not letting her get around him.

“Who put a stop payment on your reality check?”

“Then just tell me you don’t want me. Tell me that last night was just a kiss.”

“SHUT UP!” She yelled furiously. “Just go away! And stay there!”

Spike bit back the words he was about to say and turned, throwing up his hands and walking away. She didn’t have to tell him twice. He was tired of playing cat and mouse. For good measure, he turned and kicked another rock at her. He purposely missed but leered at her anyway before he continued out of the park.

“Fine! Be that way! Just walk away in the middle of something and act like a MEAN ASSHOLE!” Buffy stomped her foot on the ground and fell again, clutching her sore ankle. “Ow. Prick!”

When it was clear that he wasn’t coming back, she went after him.

They weren't done and since when did he listen to anything she said anyway? He should know better than to just walk off just because she said to leave.

~~

Spike stomped into Willie’s Pub fifteen minutes later fully vamped and slumped at the bar. He’d had it. There was no way in hell he was going to work with her any damn more. She was infuriating and childish and…the best kisser he had ever kissed. Plus, she was beautiful even when she was infuriating. He bummed a cigarette and fired it up. There! He’d show her.

Growling, he gulped down half a bottle of Jack Daniel’s and then turned when the door was flung open. He growled again when he saw the Slayer hobble in, staring down anyone who dared look at her. Her gaze locked on him and he felt his face begin to morph back into his mortal visage. He could never hold his demon very long around her.

Buffy shook her head as she sat down. She wanted it resolved and if it meant that she would be the first to admit that she wanted something with him then so be it. “Drinking and smoking. That’s bad, Spike.”

“And?” He didn’t bother looking at her, instead he lifted the bottle and took several swigs.

“And you left me, injured, in the park where I could have been killed just to feed your habit.” Buffy held out her hand, figuring she would just beat him at his own game. “Aren’t you going to share?”

Spike snorted and looked over at her. “You want to drink liquor?”

“I can hold my own.” She snatched the bottle and took several deep drinks, almost dying at the fire that burned down her throat. When she handed the bottle back to him, it took every ounce of self-control she had not to cough, vomit and ask for a hospital. Buffy had only drank once in her life and it definitely wasn’t something as strong as this.

“Well look at you.” He handed her the bottle again. “Go on then. Drink the rest.”

“That would be rude. It’s yours.” She shook her head, biting back the bile in her throat. She doubted seriously that she could stomach to even smell it, much less drink it. This wasn’t what she had planned on at all. She had hoped that he would refuse to let her drink and leave with her.

“What’s the matter, little girl?” He leaned close so she couldn’t mistake the smirk he wanted to give her. “Afraid you’re about to let your mouth overload your ass?"

“I bet I could drink you under the damn table if I wanted to.” Buffy resisted the urge she had to just leave. She wasn’t itching to get drunk and she definitely wasn’t itching to get caught inside a bar drinking when she was only nineteen.

“You’re on! I take that bet.” He grabbed her arm and slammed the bottle into her hand. “Peer pressure, baby. Give in or get out.”

“You’re an asshole.” Buffy said quietly as she tilted the bottle back.

“You forgot to add mean.” He smiled as he watched her down the rest of the liquor. It was time she learned that just because he liked her, he wouldn’t back down from her or her games.

~~

The patrons of the bar kept casting hateful glances back toward the loud blond couple. They had alternated during the course of the evening to flinging insults and cuss words, to kissing, back to insults and were currently cuddling. Several people complained and Willie walked into the corner, dreading what he was about to tell them.

“Hello, Willie.” Spike drawled and lifted his shot glass to his eye, peering through it. “You look so glassy.”

Buffy snorted and leaned her head against Spike’s arm. “Thish whole room lookses glashy.”

“My girl here, would likes another drink.” Spike hiccuped loudly and turned to face Buffy. “What do you want, luvs?”

“I want you.” She replied and rubbed her nose over his, causing them both to giggle.

Willie cleared his throat. “Listen, guys. You’ve both had enough. Too much actually and people are complaining. So why don’t you both just…go?”

“He is asking us to leaf.” Buffy rolled her head around and let it loll backwards so she could see him. “Willie, do you wane me to kick your ash?”

“I’ve considered that, Buff, and the answer is no.” Willie shook his head apologetically as they both stood. “Take pity on me, okay? I mean…I’ve let you both drink for free all night and she isn’t even legal. Please?”

Spike draped his jacket over Buffy’s shoulders and shrugged, “I’ve got other plans anyway.”

Buffy stumbled around for several seconds, trying to decide which door was the exit. There were five where there used to be one. “When did Willie remodel?”

“Remodel?” Willie scratched his head and then cringed when Buffy staggered into a table, knocking it over. He raised his hands to his head as Spike moved to pick it back up and fell on top of it, breaking two of the legs. By the time the two had cleared the front door Willie was considering his remodeling options.

And whether or not to report this to his silent investor. He figured he had better tell.

~~

The sun rose silently and brought forth the noises of everyday life. Children could be heard laughing and screaming as they boarded their school busses, cars were being started, horns were being honked and a phone was ringing off the hook in Spike’s apartment. He could hear it but he couldn’t move. He was freezing cold.

It stopped and he felt around for his cover, yanking it around him. His head pounded and he was miserable.

The cover was tugged off of him and he sleepily yanked it back.

Then his eyes flew open.

He sat up and flipped on his lamp.

Buffy sat up beside him and her eyes grew wide.

As one they leapt from the bed.

Then they noticed they were both completely naked and jumped back in, fighting to cover up. He snatched the sheet and she snatched the blanket and neither took their eyes off the other.

They both spoke at once, “What did we do?”

“You tell me.”

“How am I supposed to know.”

“Do we know what day it is?”

“D-Day?”

“How did this happen?”

“It’s your fault.”

“It’s not my fault.”

“It’s somebody’s fault.”

“Willie!”

“He’s so dead.”

The phone ringing again stopped their conversation.

“Answer it, Spike.”

“The hell you say!”

“It could be important.”

“Then YOU answer it.”

“Let it ring.”

“Fine.”

“What are we going to do?”

“What do you remember?”

“I REMEMBER WHAT YOU DID TO MY ANKLE, ASSHOLE!”

“BLOODY HELL!”

Continued...