Parts: 31 - 40
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~Part: 31~
Faith sighed as she grabbed the remote and began to flip through the channels. The movie she had been watching had ended only a few moments before but she was already bored. She moved a pillow behind her back and adjusted her position on the sofa, frowning as she tried to find a way to be comfortable. Finally, she was settled, her thumb still pushing the channel button. She suddenly smiled as she saw something she liked, tossing the remote onto the table and putting her hands behind her head as she started to watch. Okay, so she didn't watch very long before her eyes were moving to look at the clock. It wasn't even nine yet.
The slayer grimaced as she realized that she had at least another three to four hours before Willow would return home with dinner and her shadow. She really hated to admit it, even to herself, but she was getting tired of being lazy slayer. She'd spent nearly evening on the sofa in front of the television watching a variety of silly things just to keep her interest. It was fun to watch with her friends, to make fun of things and discuss what was happening, but it somehow lost the fun when she was alone. She loved her new life, really she did, but she was growing restless. It had been nearly three weeks since they'd defeated the First, three weeks since she'd had a proper patrol. She'd not even had a workout since that night, resting for the days following and then driving halfway across the country and moving and getting settled. True, she'd had a workout by moving and lifting and stuff like that. She actually felt pretty good after the cleaning they'd done that afternoon. She had muscles that were sore that hadn't been used in weeks.
She knew that patrol wasn't necessary in New Orleans. Basilio kept control over his city, and that was a good thing in her opinion. She didn't miss getting injured and having to kill things, both of those being the worst aspects of being a slayer. She missed the adrenaline of the hunt. They had converted the attic into a workout room slash slayer headquarters for her, but she'd not yet used any of the equipment or weapons they had bought. She'd decided to take a break from slaying to get accustomed to her new surroundings. Besides, once she'd what a tight ship Lio ran, it seemed sort of pointless to spend a lot of time sparring and stuff. It wasn't like she'd be needed that often. She'd figured she'd go with Willow when her friend had to meet people or would be venturing into dangerous areas of town, but she had a feeling that Spike would be performing such tasks now that he was in town and intent on becoming Willow's best buddy. Where did that leave Faith?
She wasn't jealous of Spike. Nope, not at all. She didn't care that he'd only been in town for one day and he was already going to work with Red. She didn't care that he made Willow smile even more than she had been before his arrival and she didn't care that he seemed to want to be best friends with Willow. She knew her friend well enough to know that there had been some crushing going on for a while and she wasn't blind to the sparks that seemed to exist between the vampire and the witch. They were comfortable together and she honestly believed that they were friends, but they were fooling themselves if they thought that was all that there was. But she wasn't an expert by any means so she'd just keep her mouth shut and watch the show. They were both intelligent people and would surely figure out that the attraction between them could heat the entire coast for an indefinite amount of time. So, no, she wasn't jealous of Spike or the place he held in Willow's life. Even if they seriously did remain just friends for a while, Willow was happy and Spike seemed to be good for her. That's all Faith wanted for her friend.
She wasn't jealous, but she did feel a bit at loose ends. Gunn was a great guy, easily filling the position of older annoying brother in her life, but he was working days and would be helping at the club plus there had been some major sneaky peeks between him and that girl he worked with. He also tended to be a bit of a loner, liking his privacy and hanging out alone sometimes. He was her friend, sure, but he wasn't really the type of guy she'd want to go hang out with, just the two of them. He'd probably scare off any guy that approached her and she'd definitely tease him like crazy if some girl hit on him. In a group, he was great, though. As for Lorne, well, he had Lio. He also had the club that would soon be taking up a lot of his time. The little free time he did have would most likely be spent with Lio or the entire group. Faith liked having a group to hang out with. It was nice, being a part of something. She'd started to feel that way when she'd busted out of prison and hung out in LA for that week, finally being a help instead of a risk. When she'd returned to Sunnydale, well, she'd been tossed into the middle of a group that was overwhelming.
She'd made up with B, become friends with Red during the drive from LA, adopted a bunch of the kids that seemed to idolize her in a way that was kind of flattering, flirted with Robin, hell, she'd even flirted with Spike. She'd become part of a family, but it hadn't been her family. It had been B's family and she'd just been a guest at the table. Now, though, she had her own family. She understood what it felt like to have people around that you cared about, that cared about you. It was nothing like she'd expected. She regretted never allowing herself to become a part of the group from the first, wondering how different things might have been if Buffy hadn't been such a selfish bitch from the moment they'd met, if the blonde had been as accepting as she had been two months before. And then she realized that it was stupid to waste her time thinking about things like that. What's done was done. She had become the person she was now based on the past, and really wouldn't change anything. Okay, so she did hate having the blood of innocents on her hands, but dealing with that had made her grow up, had made her realize what really mattered in life. She and Willow had talked about all that on the drive back to Sunnydale, about how things can happen that you never expect, that you wish hadn't, but they shape the course of your life in ways you never imagine. Once you deal with what happened, you can learn from it or you can let it control you. She'd nearly lost herself by letting her actions control her, but she'd finally learned what was really important and then she'd gotten her control back. She'd learned from what had happened and become a better person despite the circumstances. Willow had said that in that car driving towards Sunnydale and that was when Faith realized that she had to let the past go, that she could be strong like Willow and she, too, could be a better person. When she'd heard Willow was moving, well, there'd been no doubt in her mind that she would go with the redhead. Willow had become one of the most important parts of her life during that three hour drive from LA and Faith wasn't about to lose her new friend.
So, here they were in New Orleans. They were happy, things were going fantastically well. They had a great house, great friends…Willow had a neat job and Faith was going to help with the club. Lorne had found Lio and was starting a relationship that she thought looked like it might be the forever and ever type, which was terrific because Lorne so deserved to be happy and loved. Spike was in town, fitting in easily with their little family. True, he and Willow had some UST between them, but they seemed to put their friendship above all which was what was most important. Besides, Faith didn't think it would be long before that UST was resolved and then, hopefully, they'd be experiencing their own forever and ever type of relationship. She didn't want a relationship, herself. She had no interest in getting romantic with anyone at this point of her life. The next time she had sex, it was going to be with someone who would be there in the morning, someone that wanted her because of who she was and not how she looked or how good she was in bed. She'd spent years fucking random guys, never caring about anyone, only caring about releasing the tension. A couple of years in prison with nothing but time to think can make a girl realize what she wants in life. Faith had realized that she wanted to be loved…that she wanted to love. She loved Willow and was growing to love Lorne and Gunn. She knew that Willow loved her and figured that the guys did as well, the bond between them all strong and affectionate. She had to learn to love her friends and herself and to learn how to love before she got involved in any kind of relationship so she'd decided to be celibate until she found the right guy.
God, wouldn't B laugh her ass off if she knew that Faith was holding out for true love. It was true, though. Faith didn't miss sex at all. Okay, so she had enjoyed the power and dominance of the act, but it wasn't something that she'd ever really let herself enjoy completely. Nope, there would be no random fucking in her future. She had fingers that knew exactly where to touch if she felt the need for release, and she wouldn't have to worry about them being there in the morning. She wasn't planning on becoming a nun, though. She had every intention of going out with Willow and the gang, of dancing and flirting and having a good time, but that was it. She'd be sleeping alone until she found the guy that would hold her as she slept and be there for breakfast. Yeah, she was looking for the breakfast guy. Well, not really looking. She wasn't ready for that yet. She was still getting a hang of this loving someone as a friend thing. Nah, it would be a while before she was ready for the hunt for her breakfast guy. She shifted on the sofa again, wishing Gunn hadn't wimped out and gone to sleep early or that Lorne didn't have plans with Lio. She felt like getting out, going dancing until she was exhausted.
"Why so glum, sugar plum?"
~Part: 32~
Faith looked up at the voice, giving Lorne a large smile as she said, "I'm not glum. Was just thinking."
"Ah," Lorne nodded as he moved to sit in one of the two chairs that was in the upstairs entertainment area that Willow and Faith had created. "You looked pretty serious."
"Not really," Faith shrugged, "just thinking about the last few weeks and everything. Okay, so it was a bit serious. Nothing bad, though."
"You staying in tonight?" Lorne asked the slayer, knowing that Gunn was already settled in his room watching some loud movie with lots of explosions as he tried to stay awake for the end. As for Willow and Spike, they had gone to work. He almost smiled imagining that experience, eager for Lio to arrive and fill him in on the visit he had made to the office to see just how well Spike was able to patiently wait for Willow to do her work. Somehow, the word patient did not seem a suitable description for the handsome vampire.
"Yeah," Faith nodded, "we're going out tomorrow to start scouting bands so I figured I'd just be couch potato slayer tonight. Red's bringing home some food when she and her shadow come home from work so all should be good."
"Her shadow?" Lorne laughed.
"Spike's a good guy," Faith said, knowing that Lorne didn't know too much about the blond vampire. "He seems to care about Willow and that's all that really matters."
"Yes, he does," Lorne agreed, "and she seems to care a great deal about him. I hadn't realized they were such good friends, but, seeing them together, it's obvious they're very close."
"They are friends," Faith said, "I think they became pretty good friends after Buffy died and then sort of drifted apart when she came back….I dunno. I see more to it than that, personally. Just friends my ass. They want each other, and I don't mean in a platonic way. But, hey, if they're not ready to admit that, it's cool. The friendship thing is a good way to start building their relationship, learn a little bit more about each other before rushing into a lust driven affair and maybe messing up what might be their happy ending."
"I agree with you on seeing much more than pure friendship," Lorne said. "There is a very healthy sexual attraction growing between them, one that I believe has been building for a long time. But, you're right. Becoming closer friends will only strengthen their relationship and perhaps give them both that happy ending you mentioned."
"Hey, are you and Lio going out with us tomorrow night?" Faith asked, glad that Lorne agreed with her about Willow and Spike but deciding that she didn't want to jinx things for her best friend by analyzing it all too much, so she changed the subject.
"We'll probably meet up with you," Lorne said, "I haven't discussed the idea with Lio yet. Do you know where you're going to start the search for some local bands?"
"No idea," Faith shrugged as she smiled, "I don't even care. I'm so looking forward to the idea of going out and dancing until I'm too tired to move. I've been spending too much time laying around. I'm getting lazy."
"You speak as if you've not moved from the couch in weeks," Lorne laughed, "earlier today, you were cleaning and quite tired by the time we stopped working, if you remember."
"I remember," Faith laughed, "but it's not the same as getting dressed up and dancing and just letting go for a couple of hours. I'm really excited about tomorrow night. I hope you and Lio join us. You'll both have to save me a dance!"
"Honey, why would you want to dance a couple of old demons?" Lorne asked, shaking his head at the pretty girl. "You'll have guys lined up to dance with you."
"Yeah, a bunch of punks that want to play touchy feely instead of actually dancing," Faith rolled her eyes. "I'm not looking for grabby hands that want to spend their time trying to feel me up. I want to dance with someone that I don't have to worry about wanting more."
"Well, sugar, I'll be sure to save you a dance then," Lorne promised, knowing exactly what Faith was talking about. She was a gorgeous girl, well built and attractive, and most guys looking at her would probably be thinking about sex which made dancing with them more of a bother than a fun activity. He'd witnessed it the night they'd gone out to a club recently, watching as guys leered at her and tried to hit on her. She'd ignored them, spending her time dancing with Willow, which had caused more leers, and himself.
"That's what I need," Faith suddenly said, looking at him with a smile, "I need a man!
"I think I missed something," Lorne said, wondering how they had gone from him dancing with her to her needing a man.
"Sorry," Faith laughed at the expression on his face, "I mean, I need a friend to hang out with that is not interested in fucking me or any of that shit. I could relax and have fun and just be myself without worrying about grabby hands or attempts to get into my panties. Gunn would be perfect but he hates dancing and isn't too fond of going out and having fun. But, someone like Gunn….you know? Then I'd have someone to hang out with when Willow and Spike are out and when you're out with Lio. I wouldn't be stuck home alone watching TV all the time."
"Faith, honey," Lorne studied his friend for a minute and realized that she felt left out. Even though Spike and Willow were claiming to be just friends, being with them made Faith a third wheel. He finally understood why she had the sudden urge to find a male friend that she could go out and have fun without worrying about the baggage of an unwanted attraction or any of that mess. He smiled at her and said, "I'm sure are plenty of guys in town that would be thrilled to go hang out with you and rescue you from becoming a lazy, couch potato slayer."
"Yeah, maybe there are," Faith smiled as she decided that she liked her idea. It was the perfect solution to her problem. Now, she'd just have to find a guy that wasn't interested in having sex with her and gave her the same friendly/family like feelings that Gunn, Lorne, Spike, and Lio did. She could show Willow was strictly platonic, just friends really meant, maybe giving the redhead the idea that her relationship with Spike was a bit more than the common friendship. Cool, it could not only solve her problems but might also open Willow's eyes a bit. Damn, she was getting pretty good at this thinking thing.
"I'm going downstairs to wait for Lio," Lorne said as he stood. He leaned over and kissed her cheek as he said, "Have a good night, pumpkin."
"You too, Lorne," she said with a smile before she turned her attention back to the program and soon found herself engrossed in the mystery as she analyzed the clues to figure who did it.
~Part: 33~
Willow listened as Spike began yet another story about a time that he had visited Venice many decades before she had even been born. A smile crossed her face as she listened to him, watching the way his eyes gleamed with amusement as he told his story, his audience completely spellbound. Okay, so she was a bit spellbound herself. Spike rarely talked about his past, making a few random comments here and there maybe, but he had never told stories that were so fun and silly and made him smile the slight nostalgic smile that had been on his face for the last half hour. He was enjoying his audience, had them eating out of his hand with their giggles and pleas for more and worshipful sighs. Had she not been as affected by him as they, she would have probably rolled her eyes and been as amused by the situation as he seemed to be. But, since she was enjoying his stories far more than she wanted him to realize, she remained silent, her green eyes rarely leaving his handsome face.
She reluctantly moved her eyes from his face to look at the other occupants of the car. The Grioty demons that they had picked up from the airport about thirty minutes earlier. Olnya and Elysia. Willow had never seen a Grioty demon before so she hadn't really known what to expect. They turned out to be a couple of inches shorter than her with bright orange eyes and smooth pale blue flesh. She had talked to both sisters over the phone when they had been planning their journey, and it turned out they were as friendly and flirty in reality as they had been over the phone. They'd looked her over and smiled as they'd declared her a true beauty before turning their attention to Spike and making the same judgement. He'd been a bit surprised at their blatant appraisal of both him and Willow, but he'd soon been smiling a flirty smile and charming both sisters into giggles as he started to tell his stories about visiting their native country of Italy. When he hadn't been telling stories, he'd been asking questions, getting them both to talk about their lives as he'd collected their luggage with Sam. When they'd reached the limo, he had sat next to Willow as he had during the drive to the airport. His arm had gone around her shoulders in a very casual and very platonic way as they'd started the drive to the hotel.
Willow glanced out the window and saw that they were nearing the Quarter. The sisters were staying at a hotel in the Garden district, a bed and breakfast that catered to the non-human visitors to New Orleans. She looked back at Spike and saw that he was watching her as he spoke. His eyes looked away from her when their gazes met, his story never pausing during the silent exchange. She decided not to think anything about him looking at her. After all, he was telling a story and had been looking at the sisters most of the time. Besides, she had spent the entire drive free to look at him and ogle without worrying about getting caught. He was probably wondering when they'd be stopping, probably tired of entertaining the sisters and listening to them talk about how wonderful and adorable he was. She almost laughed at that thought. Like he'd be tired of hearing praise from two swooning women. He was eating it up, the smirk on his face enough to let her know that she wouldn't soon hear the end of how charming and handsome the demons said he was, and how lucky she was that he'd gone with her to keep the sisters occupied during the drive and how grateful she should be to have a best friend like him. Yep, she'd be hearing all of that and more as soon as they left the sisters at the hotel.
The worst part of it was that it was all true. He was charming and handsome and she was lucky that he'd gone with her. She wasn't as shy as she used to be by any means, but she was still a bit nervous about meeting new people and rarely knew how to make small talk without it seeming like she was making small talk. She had gotten better at dealing with strangers and such, but this was her first outing without Lio and she'd been a bit scared that she'd revert to her old ways of shyly smiling and hardly talking. With Spike there, she'd had no problems talking with the demons and reminding them of the rules and everything that she was supposed to say. His hand had been on her back as she spoke, his fingers making small circles as he'd given her the quiet support that had helped keep her from messing everything up. Okay, so it probably wouldn't have been a horrible mess if she'd been alone, but she was always overly nervous and worried and Spike's presence had helped ease those concerns.
Something had happened between them at the airport. Tonight, he'd truly become a best friend. And sure there was some lust on her part still involved and she knew that she had a silly crush on him that hadn't faded like she'd tried to convince herself, but it was more than all that. It was him being there for her when she needed him with that casual touch to her back, as if he'd been able to know that she was about to become the shy babbling girl of yesteryear when confronted by the two flirty demons. It was him smiling and telling the stories to give her a chance to relax and just enjoy the meeting and greeting part of her job without worrying about everything or overthinking things the way she had a bad habit of doing. And she liked that he seemed to know her so well, that he cared enough to give her a chance to just enjoy her job, that he was there when she needed him. They'd been friends before, more so when Buffy had been dead and then the last couple of months, but it had never seemed as real as it did now. The last day or so with him had been nice, not only because he was rather good to look at and smart and funny, but because he knew her in ways that no one else did. And, she had to admit that she seemed to know him in a similar way. She'd spent years watching him, listening to him, learning about him. It seemed that he had done his own watching and listening. It was comfortable and secure and she liked spending time with him and she liked seeing him smiling and happy and relaxed.
She also had to admit that she rather enjoyed the casual touches, glad that he was comfortable enough around her to touch her and lean against her. She could try her best to ignore the slight flutterings of desire that went through her at even the most platonic touch because he was happy being her friend and she was happy to have him as her friend. That was truly the most important thing. Their friendship.
"You okay, Red?" Spike asked softly as he leaned close to her ear, having been watching her covertly the entire drive back from the airport. She'd been smiling at his stories, asking for more along with the Grioty sisters, but the last few minutes she'd started thinking. He knew the signs of a deep Willow-think and was a bit curious what had caused such serious reflection that it had stopped her from listening to his latest story of a trip to Venice with Drusilla and Angelus and Darla that had ended with Angelus falling in a canal and making a complete ass out of himself. He'd thought Willow would enjoy that story, having honestly not thought about the memory in years. Instead, she'd stopped listening and started thinking.
"I'm better than okay, Spike," she smiled at him as she looked into his eyes, realizing the truth to her words. She moved to lean her head against his shoulder as she looked at the sisters and said, "I think we're nearly at the hotel, but maybe we can convince Spike to tell us another story before we get there."
"That would be wonderful," the sisters said in unison before sharing a smile as they looked at the attractive couple that spoke of being friends but seemed to be so much more.
Willow looked up at Spike and asked, "Will you tell us another story, Spike? Please?"
Spike felt a smile cross his lips as he looked into her eyes, saying, "As if I could ever tell you no, Red. I'll finish telling you girls about Venice, think you might like the way that story ends. Where was I? Oh, yeah. Peaches was being an arrogant bastard, as always."
~Part: 34~
"I have to admit that I'm glad that's all over," Willow declared as she and Spike made it to the sidewalk. She looked back at the bed and breakfast and waved at the sisters who were waving from the porch. She watched as Madison, the owner of the quaint hotel, motioned for the Grioty demons to followed her inside, stopping to wave at Willow and Spike and calling out a good bye before she reentered the lovely old home.
"I don't know. It wasn't that bad," Spike decided as he winked at the sisters and blew them a kiss, listening as they giggled before entering the hotel.
"You're just saying that because they both thought you were charming and adorable," Willow said with a laugh.
"They are excellent judges of character, I must say," Spike responded with a smug smile.
"Seriously, thanks Spike," Willow said as she got back into the car. She looked at him, giving him a smile, "You were great with Olnya and Elysia. I could almost see why they might think you were charming and adorable."
"It was fun," he admitted as he sat beside her, "And what do you mean almost? I *am* charming and adorable and you know it."
"And so very modest," Willow laughed.
"Yeah, that too," Spike gave her a smile as he made himself comfortable, enjoying the sound of her laughter and the sparkle of mischief that was in her beautiful green eyes as she teased him. He'd had fun tonight, surprising even himself. Going to work with Willow was an experience that he hoped to repeat often. It had even been interesting at the office, though he preferred getting out and moving better. He'd been on his best behavior tonight, not wanting to do anything to upset Willow or make her job more difficult. It had been easier than he'd expected. He'd kept them entertained by telling stories and by being charming. He looked at Willow as he settled his arm around her shoulders, his finger moving to brush against the back of her neck as he asked, "So, what's next?"
"Next?" Willow asked, ignoring the tremors that rushed through her body from the casual touch of his finger against her neck. Okay, so ignoring wasn't the best word since it took most of her concentration to pull her thoughts from other parts of her body his fingers could easily brush against and the fact that there was dark glass concealing them from Sam and how it wouldn't take very much to just….stop it, Willow, she scolded herself mentally. She was just tired, she decided. That was the reason she was having so many naughty thoughts about Spike, why she didn't have enough control to not think about him in sexy situations that usually involved naked flesh and lips and hands and, yeah, this argument was going well.
"Now that work is done?" he prompted, his lips curving into a smile as he heard her heartbeat increasing, wondering if it was his touch on her neck that had caused the change in her breathing. Hoping that she was as affected by him as he was by her even as he knew that he shouldn't be thinking about that right now. Friends first, then lovers. He wasn't going to rush into anything that might ruin the friendship that he was forming with his gorgeous little witch, no matter how badly he wanted he wanted to taste her and touch her and never let her go.
"Oh, um, yeah. Well, I guess we'll go pick up some food and head home," Willow said once she was able to finally pull her mind out of the gutter and push the naughty thoughts to the side for the time being to concentrate on reality which meant friendship and platonic touches.
"Home?" Spike repeated with a growing smile. He'd only been in town a little over a day, but she was right. It was home. He moved his finger in circles on her neck as the car drove down St. Charles, observing, "I supposed the slayer is waiting up for food, huh?"
"I told Faith I'd bring her a burger home," Willow acknowledged, proud of herself for forming a complete sentence when he was sitting so close to her and his finger was still brushing against her flesh. Trust it to be her luck that Spike was a touchy feely type with his friends. How was she supposed to keep her naughty thoughts under control when he wouldn't stop touching her?
"I need to remember to stop at my car to pick up my stuff before we head back home," Spike mentioned, watching as Willow covered a yawn. She'd done that a few times that evening making him wonder just how much sleep she had been getting.
"That's right," Willow nodded, leaning forward to hit the button to lower the window, "Sam, you can drop us at the office."
"Are you certain, Miss. Willow?" Sam asked, glancing in the rearview mirror to look at the redhead and the empty space beside her where he knew the vampire was sitting. "It isn't any trouble at all to drop you at your house."
"Spike has to stop at the parking garage to get some stuff," Willow explained, "We've also got to stop and get some dinner so the office is as good a place as any to be dropped. Besides, it's a nice night and a walk sounds like a lovely idea. Thank you, Sam."
"Of course, Miss," Sam said as he hit the button to raise the window again. He turned the radio back on as he made a right on Canal and prepared to turn around so that he could drop his passengers directly in front of the office.
~Part: 35~
"Good night, Sam. I'll see you later," Willow said as she left the limo, joining Spike on the sidewalk. She looked at him and smiled, "Where did you park your car?"
"It's in a garage a few streets down," Spike said, motioning north of where they were standing on Canal Street. "Some hotel parking thing that also has public parking."
"Well, let's go get your stuff and then we can go by the grill and get some food. I'm pretty hungry," Willow admitted, glancing at her watch and seeing that it was already after eleven.
"It won't take me long at the car. I don't have all that much stuff," Spike said as he debated whether or not to take her hand. He wasn't sure if such a gesture was appropriate for friends or if it went beyond the platonic comfort levels that he wanted to form with Willow. Deciding to hell with it, he casually took her hand and started to slowly walk towards the street that would take them to his car.
"I have to confess that Xander, Anya and I once based an entire conversation around your clothing," Willow mentioned as they started walking, laughing when he looked at her and arched a brow. She was rather proud that she was able to accept the feeling of his hand holding hers without getting all tingly and aroused. Of course, it was pretty helpful that she'd been tingly pretty much from the moment she'd seen him at the office the night before. She was basically in a constant state of arousal when she was around Spike. She didn't understand her reaction to him, having never felt quite like this during the years that they'd been around each other in Sunnydale.
Sure, she'd found him attractive and had many a naughty dream about the sarcastic, sexy blond, but she'd never experienced an attraction this consuming. She figured it would fade eventually, once she had been around him more and was more comfortable touching him and hanging out. Goodness, she hugged Lorne and Lio and Gunn all the time, had walked holding Gunn's hand, was completely accepting of one of their arms around her shoulders or a casual touch, never once felt even a smidgeon of arousal from their touch. Yet, with one crooked smile and one gentle touch from Spike, her entire body felt as if it were on fire.
"You and the morons talked about my clothes? Why?" Spike asked, giving her a curious look as he moved his fingers over the palm of her hand, watching as she got lost in thought before she answered his question.
Willow smiled sheepishly, "I don't really know why. We were bored and sitting around the Magic Box and the topic of conversation turned to you. We were telling Anya about junior year, before she came to town, and you were a pretty important part of that story. Anyway, Xander mentioned that he always saw you in the same clothes and I agreed and then we moved on to how you always seemed to wear the same thing for so long. Anya said she was curious if you had bought several shirts that there all the same or if it was the same set which then made us wonder about the material because it would have to be very strong to be washed so often and still look in such good shape and your black shirt was never faded looking at all and, okay, did I mention that we were really bored at the time?"
"You people are crazy," Spike finally decided, a smile on his face as he'd listened to her ramble. He'd always enjoyed listening to her talk, the rambles giving him a good idea just how her developed her mind was and how smart she was, though the topic of his clothing was a bit unusual.
"Yeah we are a bit, but it made a pretty boring day pass by quickly," Willow laughed softly, "we also discussed Angelus and his fondness for silk shirts and leather, wondering how he managed to get the blood out of the clothes….."
"He tossed them out and got new ones, luv," Spike confided, watching her smile. "The wanker was a right priss when it came to his clothes. Bloody damn pouf."
"Well, what about you?" Willow asked with a curious smile. "I mean, did you only have that one set of clothes we always saw you in? I can't remember ever seeing you in anything but that red and black shirt and the black T-shirt for years."
"I've probably got half a dozen of the black T-shirts, pet," Spike told her, wondering how the conversation had turned from going to his car to his wardrobe, but rather enjoying the amused smile on her face and the curious look in her eyes. "I'm rather simple in my tastes. Dru got me the other shirt you were talking about. It was comfortable and the blood came out easy so I wore it a lot. I've still got it, but it's getting a bit worse for wear."
"I'm pretty simple when it comes to clothes, too," Willow said as they reached the corner and turned, walking east towards the parking garage. "I like to be comfortable."
"Do you still have that sweater?" Spike asked, his eyes sweeping over her as he remembered that night he'd taken her. She had grown up over the years, and he'd been lucky enough to be around to watch it happen. She had always been cute, even in that pink sweater that had been at least two sizes too big, but she'd really accepted her beauty over the years. She had more confidence and was finally starting to become comfortable with her natural sexiness.
"Yeah, I do," Willow said softly, not having to ask what he was talking about. She'd nearly thrown it out years ago, but couldn't do it. It had too many memories. Stolen kisses with Xander, hurting people that she called her friends, standing up to Spike when he'd been threatening her, the look in his eyes as he'd spoken about Dru that had turned from heartache to lust as he'd touched moved closer to her…..it also reminded her of that night in her dorm when he'd been going to kill her, when he'd taken her mind off of Oz and the hurt of losing someone she had loved, when he'd offered to turn her as his eyes had changed colors and taken her mind back to that night at the warehouse when she'd thought he was going to kiss her and much more, making her wonder if she'd be able to stop him this time when she wanted nothing more than to be held and loved by someone that wanted her, that was devoted to her, that wouldn't leave her.
In the end, she hadn't had to answer the question of whether or not she would have told Spike yes when he asked if she wanted to become his because of the implant and the initiative, but when she looked at the sweater, she would think back and wonder what her answer would have been, wonder how her life might have been different if she'd let him kiss her in the warehouse when he'd seemed to want to. She had no regrets about how her life had turned out, knowing that everything happened for a reason. The good things and the bad had shaped who she had become, had shaped the person that she now was. She was happy with who she was, with her life.
"This is the place," Spike said as they reached the parking garage, deciding to change the subject. He glanced at the rates and made a face, "Since I'm living here, I need to try to find a better arrangement for my car. Some kind of monthly parking or something."
"Hmm?" Willow drew herself from her growing more serious by the minute thoughts and gave Spike her complete attention. She glanced at the rates as they entered the garage and said, "Goodness. That's expensive. You know what? I bet you can park at the hotel. Markine wouldn't care at all. She's letting Gunn have a space and she mentioned that most of her guests fly in and don't bother renting cars so her lot is usually nearly empty. Anyway, she told us we could use it if we ever got another car."
"You sure she wouldn't care?" Spike asked, glancing at Willow and having to smile as she smiled at him.
"She won't care. You're living with us, after all," Willow smiled. "We can drive on over there now, if you want."
"Sure thing, Red. Hop in," Spike said as he unlocked the door and opened it for Willow, his eyes moving over the bare flesh that was flashed as she got into the car, shutting the door and counting to twenty as he walked to the driver's side. By the time he got into the car, his desire was firmly under control. He glanced at Willow and asked, "Where is this hotel?"
"I'll give you directions," Willow said as she leaned back against the seat, realizing this was the first time she'd been in Spike's car. It smelled like him, the scent surrounding her and causing more tingles in her nether regions. Tobacco, oranges, and leather with a hint of something she couldn't place. She listened as he spoke to the attendant and paid his fee, eyes widening slightly at the rate that was only for a day of parking. She was glad that she'd thought about Markine and the woman's offer of the use of her lot. It would save Spike a lot of money. It was also closer to the grill, which was a good thing since she was getting a bit hungrier as time went by. She gave Spike directions as he started to drive towards the hotel, her mind running through the grill's menu she'd already memorized as she decided what she wanted for dinner.
~Part: 36~
"You can park over there by Gunn's car," Willow pointed, unfastening her seatbelt as Spike pulled into the empty spot and turned the car off.
"This place looks nice," Spike observed as he looked at the quaint hotel.
"Doesn't it?" Willow smiled, "Markine is great. We'll go inside and find her and you can meet her. I thought we could let her know you're parking here and tell her what kind of car."
"Might be a good idea to ask if it's okay, Red," Spike said, trusting Willow when she said that it would be fine with the woman for him to use the spot, but thinking it would be a good idea to at least ask. Judging from the nearly empty lot, he couldn't see it being a problem at all. Willow was right when she'd said that there would be plenty of space.
"We'll ask to make sure she doesn't mind," Willow decided, knowing it was polite to ask even though Markine had told her before to feel free to use the lot anytime. She was appreciative of everything the woman had done for them and didn't want to offend her.
"I'll grab my stuff on the way back out," Spike said as he got out of the car, not wanting to carry his bag inside to the hotel to meet yet another new friend of Willow's. He wasn't at all surprised that the pretty redhead already had a group of friends, knowing from years of watching that she had a natural gift of drawing people to her. There was just something about the woman that made people want to be her friend, made them want her to smile at them.
"Follow me," Willow said, taking Spike's hand and walking towards the back entrance to the hotel. They entered the lobby and she waved at the girl behind the desk, recognizing her from their stay. She walked over, still holding Spike's hand, "Hi, Kat. Is Markine around?"
"Hey, Willow. She's in her office. How is the new house?" Kat asked, her eyes moving to look at the handsome man that was behind the friendly redhead. Gorgeous but definitely taken. He had barely glanced at her before turning his attention back to Willow. She looked back at Willow, listening as the woman answered her question.
"It's fantastic," Willow smiled, "we're starting to work on the club. Once it's finished, you'll need to stop by and take a look."
"Sounds great," Kat smiled before turning to answer the ringing phone.
"We're going to find Markine," Willow mouthed before moving down the hallway towards Markine's office. She got to the door, knocking and opening the door when she heard her friend tell her to come in. "Hey, Markine."
"Willow! You look ravishing," Markine smiled as she got to her feet and moved to embrace the redhead. "What brings you here tonight?"
"I wanted you to meet my friend Spike," Willow introduced the two, "he just came here from Sunnydale and has moved in with us. I was wondering if it would be okay if he parked his car here."
"Of course," Markine scolded, "I told you before to feel free to use it anytime you wished. You need not ask. It is nice to meet you, Spike."
"Thanks for letting me park here," Spike said, giving her a smile as he moved to shake her hand. "Willow has told me how much you helped them all. It's nice meeting you."
"Pish posh," Markine said, "she gives me too much credit. All I did was give them a place to stay and introduce them to a real estate agent."
"As if that's nothing," Willow laughed, "I hate to run in and run out, but I'm starving and we're on our way to pick up some dinner. Faith is waiting for us to bring home some food."
"Oh, dear," Markine laughed, "you'd better hurry if Faith is waiting for food. She gets grumpy when she gets hungry. I hope you enjoy your new home, Spike. Willow, tell Lorne to give me a call. I want to take him to lunch to find out what truth there is in these rumors I'm hearing about him and Basilio."
"I'll be sure to tell him," Willow said, a twinkle entering in her eyes as she walked towards the door, "after he gets home from his date with Lio!"
"That rascal," Markine smiled, "he doesn't waste any time."
"Good night, Markine," Willow left the woman's office and told Spike, "I told you it wouldn't be a problem. She's one of the sweetest people I've met. Now, can we go get some food?"
"It looks like Faith isn't the only one to get grumpy when she's hungry," Spike smiled as he followed her out to the parking lot to get his stuff before they headed to the grill to pick up dinner.
~Part: 37~
"Don't look that way," Willow laughed at the skeptical look that had crossed Spike's face when he saw where she planned to get dinner.
"It's rather small," Spike observed as he followed her into the tiny diner. There were perhaps a half dozen booths and a counter that had several seats, most of which were occupied. In fact, the small restaurant was quite crowded.
"The food here is the best," Willow told Spike before she started to move through the people that were in the process of leaving to make her way to the counter.
"Hello, sweetie," a friendly voice spoke up from behind her.
Willow turned, a smile crossing her face as she said, "Brandon! I was wondering where you were hiding!"
Brandon smiled at the pretty redhead that was becoming a familiar face around the Clover Grill, leaning forward to whisper, "I was taking an order from this Swedish guy and just enjoying the scenery as he decided what he wanted."
"You're terrible," Willow laughed.
"Says you," Brandon winked at her as a wicked smile crossed his boyishly handsome face, "where is your partner in crime tonight?"
"Faith is being lazy and waiting at home," Willow explained as Brandon moved past her to go behind the counter to put in the latest order. "This place is a zoo tonight."
"Isn't it?" Brandon made a face, "I'm working a double today and can I just say that I can't wait for six o'clock? It's been like this all evening."
"I guess that's what you get for having some of the best food in town. I've been telling Spike how good the good is at this place and how Faith and I are already addicted to the burgers," Willow said.
"Spike?" Brandon repeated, his eyes moving over the guy that was standing behind Willow, listening to their conversation. He whistled, leaning forward and telling Willow, "Honey, he's cute! Don't suppose he has a brother?"
"God, don't say that! He's arrogant enough already," Willow laughed, "and, sorry, he's an only child."
"My luck," Brandon winked before writing on his order pad, "I know that Faith wants a burger with cheese, naked, or did she want her dosage of veggies today?"
"She didn't specify," Willow's expression grew thoughtful as she said, "Go ahead and make it naked. We have some stuff at home she can put on it if she wants the vegetables."
"Okay dokie," Brandon made a note, "One cheeseburger naked. And what can I get you tonight?"
"Make it a BLT with mayo," Willow decided, "and two orders of fries. Spike, did you want anything?"
"Huh?" Spike felt like an idiot. He had been slightly jealous when he'd been listening to Willow talk to the cute waiter, recognizing flirting when he heard it. He'd moved behind his witch and put a possessive arm around her waist just to make it clear that she was taken even if she was indulging in mindless flirting. He had to admit he'd been surprised when the kid had said that he was cute and mentioned a brother. Surprised but relieved. That meant the guy was harmless and had no interest in Willow other than for a bit of flirting. He'd been dwelling on the relief and the feel of her body against his in the small diner and had missed her question. "Sorry, luv. What did you say?"
"Oh my," Brandon nudged Willow and whispered, "I could be happy just sitting and listening to that voice reading me the phone book! Not to mention looking at that beautiful face for endless periods of time. Sweetie, I am quite envious of you at the moment!"
"Brandon, you're such a flirt," Willow rolled her eyes, not correcting the cute waiter's assumption that Spike was hers. She looked at Spike and said, "I asked if you wanted anything to take home. They make great milk shakes."
"What kind are you getting?" Spike asked, noticing that she did not deny the Brandon guy's obvious belief that they were involved. He didn't say anything about it, but he had noticed, wondering if it meant anything or if she just hadn't realized what the kid thought.
"Oh, I don't know if I'll get one today," Willow said, having mentioned milk shakes because she knew that Spike probably wouldn't interested in the other food choices but that he seemed to enjoy sweets and junk food. "But the chocolate is great."
"Give me an order of fries and two chocolate shakes," Spike told the waiter before looking back at Willow, "you deserve a reward after your good night at work so don't argue. I guess the slay..um, Faith would probably want one, too, huh?"
"Yeah, she loves strawberry," Willow smiled at Spike, deciding that she wasn't going to argue about him ordering a chocolate shake for her. She'd walk off those calories in no time. New Orleans might be a great city for eating well, but it was also a great city for getting exercise by walking everywhere.
"I got it," Brandon said, smiling a pleased smile as he watched the pretty redhead share a couply smile with the good looking British guy. She and her friend, Faith, were nearing the top of his list of favorite customers, always smiling and flirting and teasing and leaving him a nice tip. They were in nearly every night, sometimes with the cute black guy that Faith called Chuck, which Brandon assumed meant his name was Charles. Now it appeared there was another face added to their strange but happy little family. "I've got a BLT with mayo, a cheeseburger naked, three orders of fries, two chocolate shakes and a strawberry shake for the lazy girl. Anything else, Willow?"
"No, that should do it, Brandon," Willow smiled as she saw a group leaving a table, "we'll snag that table to wait for the food."
"Should be out pretty soon, sweetie," Brandon said before he smiled and added, "if you two crazy kids will excuse me, I'm going to go work on my Swedish relations."
~Part: 38~
"Isn't this place great?" Willow asked as she and Spike sat at the two seat table by the wall. "We found it right after we got to town."
"It's definitely busy," Spike observed, watching the many people coming in to pick up to go orders that must have been phoned in. "It must have good food."
"Some of the best," Willow smiled, "Faith loves their burgers. That's saying something since she's definitely becoming a bit of a food expert."
"What do *you* think of the burgers?" Spike asked, not caring at all what the outspoken slayer liked or didn't like. Willow, on the other hand, he wanted to know everything about. He'd always been fond of the redhead, but had never really had an opportunity to get to know her. He'd been allowed a brief glimpse after Buffy's death as he'd helped her take care of Dawn and watched her push aside her own grief to find a strength that hadn't surprised him so that she could keep everything together for everyone around her. Now was his chance. She was happy and enjoying her life. She wasn't trying to hide what she felt or thought. They were friends now. He was able to talk to her and spend time with her and just wanted to know more.
"They're good," Willow replied, surprised to see the actual look of interest in his blue eyes. He really did want to know what she thought about the food. She wouldn't have thought chit chat about food would have held much interest for Spike, but he was listening to her, seemingly wanting her to continue talking. "I love the BLTs, too. I have to confess that I'm not a huge fan of lettuce so I tend to take it off, but their bacon is always cooked well and they toast the bread just perfect. It's really difficult to find a good BLT. You just don't know! Usually, the bacon isn't right or the bread isn't perfectly toasty or the tomatoes are too juicy and they make the bread soggy and you so don't want to hear all this."
"Actually, I'm extremely interested," Spike said as his lips curled with amusement as he listened to her babble. "I've never given food much thought."
"I tend to give the strangest things too much thought," Willow confessed, "Faith says that I think too much and I guess she might be right since I've just spent five minutes talking about BLTs."
"No such thing as thinking too much, luv," Spike said, fighting the urge to insult the slayer by suggesting she had made such a comment because she, herself, didn't know how to think. He thought the evening was going very well, though, and didn't want to risk upsetting Willow by making a typical rude comment about her friend. Besides that, it wouldn't be nearly as much fun to insult the slayer if she wasn't there to hear it.
"You're right," Willow smiled, leaning forward and confiding, "besides, I think she just said that because she doesn't spend all that much time thinking herself."
Spike sat there for a second stunned that she'd just said what he had been thinking before he felt the laughter coming from his lips. He shook his head, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he laughed, "You're something else, Red."
"Is that a good thing?" she asked with a smile, knowing that that was the first time she'd ever heard Spike laugh. Oh, she'd heard the sarcastic laughs and sneering laughs and the short laughs that never truly held amusement, but she'd never heard him laugh a real laugh that had his eyes sparkling and his face relaxed and his lips smiling. Spike was a handsome guy, no doubt about it, but he was positively breath taking when he was relaxed and laughing and just enjoying himself.
"It's a very good thing, Willow," he said softly as he looked into her eyes.
"I'm glad," Willow answered, thinking about what was happening. He'd called her Willow and he was looking at her as if he could see into her soul and she had no idea what to do. She decided to take the easy way out, calling herself a coward but also knowing that it was the only choice she could really make since they were just friends and the friendship was something new and she wasn't ready for anything else that might be promised by his blue eyes and those delectable lips and....she was just a coward. She gave him a friendly smile as she said, "I wonder what's taking the food so long. I know it's kind of busy, but I'm getting beyond hungry and I hope it doesn't take much longer."
~Part: 39~
Before Spike could respond to Willow's comment about how long the food was taking, they had a visitor. Brandon pulled up a chair from one of the now empty tables and pushed it beside Willow's where he proceeded to rest his head on her shoulder.
"Geesh, I'm pooped," Brandon declared as he leaned on Willow's shoulder. He looked up at her, "Your shoulder is most comfortable, Miss. Willow. Can I take a short nap?"
"Thanks and no, sorry, no napping on my shoulder for you tonight," Willow smiled, seeing the exhausted look in his hazel eyes. "You said you were doing a double, huh?"
Brandon made a face, "Yes, and it's all my fault. I stupidly agreed to cover Joan's shift so she could go to a birthday party and get drunk and who knows what else. Big mistake. I'm dragging and I've still got six hours left."
"Poor baby," Willow said as she patted his shoulder.
"Why do I do this to myself?" Brandon asked her, covering a yawn as he added, "this is the third double I've done this week. I swear, I'm just too darn nice."
"Well, that and you love working and you like the extra money," Willow pointed out with an affectionate smile.
"Quit being logical," Brandon scolded as he raised his head, giving her a wink, "I can't feel sorry for myself when I start thinking of the extra tips I've made tonight and remember just how much I love dealing with people."
"Do you think our food is gonna be ready sometime soon?" Spike asked, his voice slightly sharp. While he knew that this kid was just a flirt and didn't seem to have any interest in Willow beyond that of friend, he had to admit he was a bit jealous of how casually the waiter touched his Red and how she didn't seem to mind at all.
"Keep your pants on, Brit," Brandon said with an arched brow as he studied the handsome guy for a second before slowly smiling. He recognized jealousy when confronted by the green-eyed monster. Well, in this case, the tasty blue-eyed variety. Well, well, well, this was a nice little turn of events. Pretty boy was jealous of him having Willow's attention, even knowing that his taste currently ran to tall good-looking Swedish men. He gave Willow a sly smile as he muttered, "Never imagined myself saying *that* to such a gorgeous hunk of man. Don't tell anyone or my reputation as a flirt would forever be tarnished."
"Your secret is safe with me," Willow whispered back, her eyes sparkling with amusement at Brandon's antics.
"I thought you were hungry, Red," Spike reminded, ready to get their food and go home where he wouldn't have to share Willow with flirting waiters. The slayer would be there, but she wasn't as annoying as this guy that didn't seem to want to get back to work.
"I am starving, Brandon," Willow confessed after giving Spike a confused look before smiling at Brandon. "Do you think it's going to take much longer?"
"Sorry, sweetie," Brandon apologized, "we got a huge take out order right before you came in and he's been finishing that up. I'll check on it for you and tell him to hurry. Can't have our girl starving to death."
"Thanks, Brandon," Willow said as he got up and went to the counter to check on her order. The grill was slowing down finally, people eating their food or finishing up. She looked back at Spike and caught him.
"Can't have our girl starving to death," Spike mimicked as he rolled his eyes. He smiled sheepishly when Willow looked at him and caught his rather childish behavior.
"What is that?" Willow asked with curiosity, wondering what exactly Spike's problem with Brandon was.
"Nothing, pet," he gave her an innocent smile that was actually not very innocent at all as his eyes held a bit of wicked mischief that set her heartbeat racing wildly.
"Uh huh," Willow studied him for a second before shrugging, knowing that Spike was as stubborn as anyone she'd ever met which meant she wouldn't get any answers from him.
"The food is nearly done, Willow," Brandon said as he came back to their table. "It should be finished in five minutes or so. I'll start those shakes as soon as I drop off this ticket."
"Great," Willow smiled at him as she watched him go to the table in the corner, flirting with the Swedish guy that didn't seem to mind the attention at all. She looked at Spike and said, "Do you think Faith is cursing us yet since we're so late getting home with the food?"
"Who cares?" Spike asked, "Silly bint could get off her lazy arse and get her own food if she's that hungry."
"Well, as soon as she sees that you got her a strawberry shake we'll be forgiven," Willow said with a laugh.
"Eh, luv, don't tell her I got it for her," Spike protested, making a face, "it was your idea. I don't want the silly cow thinking that I was being nice or anything horrible like that."
"Yeah, cause we definitely can't have anyone thinking you're nice," Willow snickered, rolling her eyes.
~Part: 40~
"I'm *not* nice, Red," Spike smiled slowly, "I'm feared and respected across the world. Even with this soul, I'm the big bad."
"Never doubted that for a second, Spike," Willow said softly, knowing how important respect was for Spike, knowing that he'd had a tough time when he'd first got his implant because he'd been mocked and laughed at by local demons. It hadn't been long before he'd dealt with the limitation of his implant and reminded them just how dangerous and powerful he really was. The implant was now gone and he had a soul, but he was still strong and powerful.
"You never did consider me helpless or weak, did you?" he asked quietly, his eyes on hers.
"No," she admitted, the implant having done nothing to diminish the edge of danger and power that always surrounded the vampire.
He nodded, having always known but liking that they were comfortable enough around each other for her to be honest. He confessed, "Didn't think so. One of the reasons I never hated you, Red."
"Even now, with a soul, I can feel your strength, your power," she said, "I'm not scared of you, haven't been for years. It's not because I think you're harmless, far from it. I just don't think you'd ever hurt me so there isn't any reason to be scared."
"I would never harm ya, Willow," he said softly before smiling and adding, "Besides, with your powerful mumbo jumbo magic skills, you don't really have any reason to fear anyone or anything. You can take care of yourself, luv."
"That I can," Willow smiled, rather proud that she *could * take care of herself. Even without using her magic, she was strong and had been trained by a slayer so she could handle herself pretty well in hand to hand situations. "I can kick butt!"
"That you can, pet," Spike smiled as he recalled various patrols with his witch where she'd defeated the vampires or demons without even using her magic. He'd been right proud of her.
"Guess what this is," Brandon teased as he rejoined Willow and Spike. He didn't even flinch when annoyed blue eyes glared at him for interrupting their conversation. He did have to admit that he was glad that Willow would be the one to tip him since he had a pretty idea that Spike wasn't too fond of him and probably wouldn't leave him a quarter, not that he cared all that much. He liked talking to Willow and Faith when they visited and Pretty Boy could just get used to the idea. "Stop the glaring, Brit. I'm asking Willow, not you."
"Brit?" Willow laughed, "I'll have to share that one with Faith. She'll love it."
"Great," Spike rolled his eyes before deciding that it was at least a step up from Fang and Blondie and was far better than Xander's nickname of Deadboy Junior, which had never failed to annoy him.
"What is it, Brandon?" Willow asked as she glanced at the small piece of paper.
He winked as he said, "The number for the hotel where Karl is staying for the rest of the week before he returns to Stockholm or wherever it is he said he was from. I must confess that I was looking at his lips and not really listening to what he was saying."
"Good, why don't you run along and call him then," Spike suggested with a polite smile though his eyes were irritated at the latest interruption from the overly talkative waiter. No wonder the place was so busy. The damn waiter spent all his time flirting with his customers instead of getting their food. Okay, so that wasn't entirely true since he had seen the kid working his ass off taking orders out and answering the phone, but he was annoyed and you didn't have to be fair and entirely truthful when you were annoyed. He was sure that it was a rule or something.
"Spike, behave," Willow warned, giving him a glare though her lips were twisted with amusement. She told Brandon, "Congratulations on getting the number."
"I don't plan on calling him," Brandon admitted, "because I don't go for the tourist fling thing. I might be a big old flirt but I'm not easy and I don't sleep around with people that I've just met and especially not people that are leaving in a few days. But, I scored the number, which means I've still got it. Oh, and your food is ready as are your shakes."
"I'll go and pay and then we can go," Willow told Spike as she allowed Brandon to pull her to her feet. She wasn't very surprised when Spike stood and moved towards the register.
"I've got it, Red," he said as he pulled some money out of his pocket and waited for Brandon to ring up their order.
"You don't have to pay, Spike," Willow protested, even though she knew it was probably futile. Judging by the look Spike gave her, there would be no arguments.
"Never said I had to, luv," Spike said with a smile as he got his change and tossed a five at the kid before stuffing the rest back into his pocket. He put his bag over his shoulder and took the bags of food from Brandon, having to admit that it smelled pretty damn good. When they got home, he'd heat up a bag of blood and then enjoy his shake and fries while talking to Willow and trying his best to ignore Faith.
"I'll see you later, Brandon," Willow smiled as she leaned over and gave the man a brief hug.
Brandon smiled as he heard what he could have sworn was a growl from Spike. He so needed to talk to Faith. He knew the brunette would dish the gossip on these two, letting him know what exactly was happening in their relationship. He knew something was happening between them, any idiot could see that, and he wanted to have a first row seat to watch the events unfold. He told Willow, "Tell Faith to get off her cute ass and come see me soon."
"I'll tell her," Willow laughed as she followed Spike outside, "Have a good night, Brandon. I'll see you soon."
"You two crazy kids be good," he called out as the door shut before he turned his attention to his remaining customers, hoping that the next few hours went by fast so he could get home and sleep for a few hours before he had to be back at work.