Parts: 11 - 20
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~Part: 11~
Willow was bored. She sat in her brand new office which Angel had gifted her with two days previous, her feet resting on her desk, her eyes raised to the ceiling. Wesley had given her some research to do, for some demonic clan or other that they were currently having issues with, but her work had been finished an hour after she started and she had nothing more to do. She considered paying Fred a visit in the lab, but she felt like she would be in the way. No doubt the scientist had something important to work on. Gunn was busy, rarely taking any breaks, Wesley was immersed in his research, and Angel was taking a meeting. So that left the witch to entertain herself, and she was failing miserably.
It had now been a week since she came to Los Angeles and easily became one of the gang. She was eagerly awaiting the end of the workday because it was time for her to move into her new penthouse. There actually wouldn’t be a lot of moving involved. All the furniture and appliances were going to be supplied by Wolfram and Hart, all she had to bring were her personal belongs, you know; her clothes, her mementos, and her vampire. She giggled absently at the thought. Spike would throttle her if he heard her call him ‘her vampire’.
She and the bleach blonde had fallen into a comfortable routine over the past few days. They spent most of the day apart, Spike assisting Angel with the occasional fight or reconnaissance mission. She worked in her office or with Wesley. Then after work Spike would keep her company while she had dinner. Sometimes they would go to a bar or a club but they didn’t do that very often. Spike hated to dance and Willow wasn’t big on partying. The night before, she and Fred were left alone while the men did their best to make the world a safer place. Willow was a little miffed that she was left out, but she knew she shouldn’t make a big deal out of it. Besides, it was kind of nice to have a girl’s night in.
Fred had left Angel’s penthouse around eleven and Willow thought about staying awake and waiting for Spike and Angel to return. But her eyes refused to stay open and she gave up, changing into a pair of loose pajama pants and a tank top and climbed into bed. She recalled waking up around three in the morning as Spike joined her in bed. Angel had insisted after the first night they moved in that Spike sleep on the couch, but Willow wouldn’t allow it. They were adults after all; she and Spike could share a bed without having problems. He may be a big flirt, but he was just a tease really. She rolled over onto her back as he slipped under the covers and a sleepy smile crossed her face when he pressed a kiss to her forehead and whispered a soft ‘Goodnight Red’, before joining her in slumber.
The redhead was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard a loud knock at her door.
“Come in,” she called absentmindedly as she leaned back in her chair.
“Well this feels vaguely familiar,” drawled an amused accented voice. She looked up to see Spike lounging in her doorway, a smirk plastered on his face. “Still too lazy to see who’s at the door, pet? I thought I taught you better. How would you know that I wasn’t some evil fiend out for your blood?”
“Spike, this is Wolfram and Hart, everyone here is an evil fiend. Present company included,” she answered with a chuckle.
“Yeah, well…good point,” he agreed with a roll of his eyes. “What are you doing sitting around here? It’s quitting time.” Her eyes darted to the clock above her door and widened in surprise. She didn’t realize that much time had passed. “Well let’s get a move on, witch. We’ve got business to attend to and all that rot.”
She stood, glancing around the room to see if she was forgetting anything. Satisfied that there was nothing that needed to be taken with her, she walked around her desk and joined Spike at the doorway, her hand slipping into his offered one as he led them away from her office.
“Peaches said that your penthouse was officially ready, so I got all our stuff together and moved it up there. All you have to do is unpack.” She smiled sweetly at him as they walked into the elevator.
“Thanks Spike. So you saw it…is it pretty?” she asked eagerly, with a childlike grin. He smirked at her enthusiasm.
“I wouldn’t be the one to ask, pet. It’s nice, though I think it could use a little more leather, maybe some chains…” he considered with a wicked grin.
“Well, do what you want with your room but there will be *no* chains in my living room,” she declared with a withering glare in his direction.
“You say that now, but I bet I could persuade you,” he teased, his blue eyes glinting in the harsh lighting.
“I think you overestimate your charm, Blondie,” she countered haughtily. She saw the gleam in his eye and her confidence faltered, knowing he was scheming. “Wipe that look off your face, Spike,” she warned with a slight grin.
“Oh come on, love,” he drawled, pushing her gently against the wall of the elevator, his arms trapping her as he smiled down at her. “I can be a very charming bloke when I want to be…” he told her with a smirk. His arms slid down the wall and moved to grip her hips softly as he stepped closer.
“Maybe…” Willow responded, her voice slightly husky. Her hand moved from her side and trailed her fingers up his shirt, skimming over his stomach and chest, sliding up his neck and tracing his jaw before her thumb grazed his bottom lip. His eyes darkened and she leaned in a bit closer. Her lips brushed his when she spoke, her tone low. “But you don’t have any effect on me…” she whispered, breaking out into a triumphant smile when she heard the elevator ding and the doors slide open. She patted his cheek before pushing him away and walking out the doors calmly.
“Come on Spikey,” she called over her shoulder, her hips sashaying as she walked away with an arrogant stride. “We’ve got business to attend to, and all that rot,” she giggled.
Spike shook his head, pulling himself out of the daze she had left him in and ambled out of the elevator. He looked at her in a new light as reached the door to her new penthouse and turned to wait for him to join her.
“You’re just a little tease, aren’t you pet?” he grinned with a little bit of pride in his voice.
“I was just kidding Spike,” she replied with a mischievous smile. Thinking back to his words a few nights before, she cocked her head to the side and turned her back to him, sliding her key into the door as she added, “But if you ever have an itch that needs scratching, gimme a call…”
He remained out in the hall, honestly surprised at her playful taunting watching her with a raised eyebrow.
“Might just take you up on that offer, Red,” he remarked with a half-smile.
“Ha freaking ha,” she replied with a tiny laugh. The redhead took the time to study her new place, amazed at the gorgeous interior. She too had large windows, which were thankfully vampire friendly, a spacious living room leading into a cozy yet modern kitchen. There was a hall on the other side of the room that led to the two bedrooms and a shared bathroom that could easily accommodate the two of them.
Spike’s room was painted a tan color; the drapery was a dark red, matching the carpeting. He had a large king size bed, covered in fabrics which were colored in midnight black. Black and red were his signature colors, after all. His dresser was a sleek basic black as well and he had a decent sitting area with a flat screen television. Surprisingly, Angel spared no expense; probably because he didn’t actually have to pay for it. After checking out her roommate’s quarters, Willow moved on to her own.
Her walls were a beautiful lilac, complimented by the accent pillows of green and a deeper purple that covered her queen size bed. Her dresser and vanity were made of oak, the colors accenting the natural beauty of the wood. She too had a sitting area complete with overstuffed chairs and a fireplace. Her entertainment center, with flat screen television included, had cabinet doors that could hide the electronic equipment, giving her room a feel of sophistication. In a word, it was—perfect.
“This is awesome, Spike!” she exclaimed, knowing the blonde had followed her into her room. “I’m going to have to give Angel a *big* thank you for all this!”
“Eh, it’s not bad,” he decided with a shrug. She scoffed at his nonchalant attitude and chose to ignore his comment. “Just get to unpacking, will you?” he asked gruffly, “Once you’re done we’ll find you some dinner, k?” She nodded in response and went to work adding her own personal touches.
Willow met Spike in the living room forty minutes later. He was lounging on the sofa, smoking and thumbing through a random magazine.
“You know,” said the witch, still dazed by her new home, “I think Angel missed his calling as an interior decorator.” Spike snorted and laughed sharply.
“Well, he is a poof,” he replied with a grin. “Besides, I think he hired someone to decorate the place, Red. I really don’t see that git brooding over wall colors and flower arrangements.”
“So true,” she agreed with a sigh. “So what’s the plan for tonight? We staying in or going out?”
“In sounds good,” he decided, pushing himself off the couch. “Let Peaches help the helpless, I’ll make you something to eat…how about spaghetti? That’s the only thing I really know how to make,” he admitted sheepishly.
“Spaghetti is good,” she said with a small smile. “Do you need any help in the kitchen?”
“Nah, but if you could set the table, that would be great,” he replied as he searched for the right pots and pans.
Dinner went off without a hitch and they shared easy conversation as they moved back into the living room to watch television and relax. They stayed awake late into the night, sharing a bottle of wine to toast to their new place. Eventually, Willow began to nod off and Spike told her to go to bed. Willow heard his door close behind him and knew that he too was going to sleep. Changing into her pajamas, she climbed into bed and sighed in comfort as she sank into the mattress.
Sleep was elusive, to her dismay. The redhead tossed and turned countless times but just couldn’t relax enough to rest. This was the first time she had the entire bed to herself, which normally she would love, but now, it bothered her. She glanced at the alarm clock on the side of her bed and frowned when it flashed four o’clock in the morning. She was glad she didn’t have to work in the morning. With a sigh, she pushed the covers off her and padded softly out of her room. She considered knocking on the door, but decided not to. Instead, she quietly opened the door, cringing when she heard it creak.
“Spike?” she asked into the darkness. She heard muffled movements and squinted when he turned on the lamp on his nightstand.
“What is it Red?” he asked curiously. His normally slicked back hair was in tousled curls. He was shirtless and groggy, which was obvious by the way he was rubbing his eyes absently.
“I…uh, I can’t sleep…” she murmured embarrassedly. He smiled sleepily and stretched out a hand to her.
“Come here,” he beckoned as she crossed the room and took his hand, letting him pull her down onto his bed. She sighed as she scooted down on the mattress and he tucked her under his arm, her head resting comfortably on his shoulder. He flicked off the light causing the room to be bathed in shadows.
“I thought I would like it…” she whispered in a soft voice.
“Like what, love?” he wondered.
“That I would like having my own bed, my own room,” she answered quietly, contemplating everything. “I mean, I was with Kennedy for all those months, I thought it would be—refreshing, just me and this big ol’ comfy bed. But I don’t know. It just feels lonely…and uncomfortable. Like something is missing.”
“It’s okay, pet,” he assured her, running a hand through her hair. “Loneliness…I get it. You miss your chit.”
“But I don’t,” she disagreed with a frown. “Miss her, that is. I just—it feels weird. I miss that sense of comfort. I miss the feel of someone holding me as I fell asleep. Just knowing that there was someone with me who cared about me. Tara always made me feel like that. So did Oz, in the beginning at least.”
“What about your other bird?” he asked gently, still holding her as she relaxed against him.
“Kennedy cared about me, but it wasn’t the same. It was nice, having her with me, but it just didn’t feel right. But it seems I’ve gotten so used to having someone beside me, I can’t sleep alone,” she said with a trace of frustration.
“Ah, so you’re just using me for my body then?” he teased softly. She shifted to look him in the eye, amusement gone from her gaze.
“I wouldn’t do that to you,” she responded sincerely. “You make me feel safe, but I’ll leave you alone if want me to go,” she offered.
“Not necessary, pet,” he told her, smiling slightly at her concern. “I like having you here,” he whispered, kissing the top of her head before entreating her to rest once more against him. “Get some sleep Red…”
~Part: 12~
Willow couldn’t help but smile as she lingered in the doorway of Angel’s office. Spike was there, lounging comfortably in one of Angel’s most expensive chairs, an amused smile on his face at the brunette’s frustrated glare. The elder vampire alternately glowered in the blonde’s general direction, or paced the floor as he waited for Spike to get the clue that he was not wanted in his office. Deciding she needed to spare Angel the aggravation that Spike was guaranteed to bring upon the brunette, the witch knocked delicately on the open door, alerting the pair to her presence.
“Willow,” Angel greeted with a nod of his head and a grateful smile.
“Hey,” she replied, waving her fingers at them.
“What can I do for you?” the brunette asked as he took a seat at his desk.
“Well, I was hoping to borrow Blondie here. Would you mind?” she asked sweetly, knowing he would never refuse her offer.
“God no. Take him, lose him if you can,” he pleaded, pointedly ignoring Spike’s annoyed glance.
“Thanks, Angel,” she replied as Spike stood, stretching absently before looking in her direction and granting her a playful wink.
“Well, I hate to cut our little meeting short, Peaches, but Red is in need of my services. What can I say, the chits can’t get enough of me,” he smirked, enjoying his grandsire’s displeased gaze. He strutted across the office, joining Willow in the doorway and placing his hand in her offered one as she led him away and into the elevator.
“Where we headed?” he wondered as the doors shut in front of them. Willow gave him a sheepish grin.
“My office,” she shrugged. “I don’t *really* need your help,” she admitted, “but poor Angel looked so desperate for you to leave, I had to help him out. Besides, I could use some company. It gets rather lonely in there all day.”
“Poor Red,” he commiserated with a slight pout. “I know; you missed me. I understand. I am one of a kind, after all. If I were you, I’d miss me too.”
“How very modest of you,” she replied dryly. The elevator dinged and they walked out, following a spacious hall to her office, hand in hand. She released her light grip on him as they entered her office and went to her desk, checking for any missed messages on her phone. Spike took the time to study her surroundings, idly tracing a finger along her rather impressively filled bookcase.
“How can you stand it in here?” he implored, frowning at her dark décor. While she too had a window in her office, it wasn’t enough to brighten the dour room. The curtains were heavy velvet, the deep burgundy adding to the closed in feeling it projected. The walls were covered in wood, not paneling like that in some homes, but in large sections, polished and professional looking, like at an upscale library or museum. Everything was so rich and yet he knew it didn’t reflect the girl it housed. She was so full of life, so optimistic and cheery. This was the office of some 60-something year old man, no place for her. He could understand how she could tire of it quickly.
“It’s nice, Spike,” Willow argued, “It’s very professional, appropriate for a law firm.”
“Yeah, but you’re not a lawyer,” he countered. “This place is…bloody stifling is what. You need someplace with light, and lots of books, maybe a nice sitting area for all those research sessions you’re bound to have. With really comfortable furniture, since you’ll probably drag my arse in here to help you,” he considered with a chuckle.
“I miss those, the research parties we’d have at Giles,” she sighed as she walked to the front of her desk to lean against it. “We were like a family, albeit a majorly dysfunctional family, but one nonetheless. Here, everything is so—businesslike.”
“Uh, that’s because it is a business,” he replied with a smirk.
“But don’t you miss it?” she questioned with a faraway look.
“Oh yeah,” he replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Good times, those were. What with all the time chained up in the watcher’s tub, and we can’t forget listening to all those oh-so-clever comments Xapper could think up. Those are memories I will always cherish,” he finished with a pointed look in her direction.
“Okay, maybe not so special from your perspective,” she agreed with a roll of her eyes. “I just mean, I miss the way it was just us against the hellmouth. Here, there are laws to consider, demonic and otherwise, and all these rules. I like it here, don’t get me wrong. But don’t you miss some good old fashioned butt kicking? Just going on patrol and taking out some of your aggressions on the baddies? Here they have teams with spiffy new weapons to do that for you. I can’t help but feel a litte—detached from it all. You know?”
“Sure,” he shrugged, moving to stand before her. “But when I get like that I usually just go out and find some demon or other to beat the crap out of. After that, I feel all better. I’m telling you, pet, that’s the best stress reliever known to man. A good fight, it gets the heart pumpin’, if my heart actually pumped that is,” he amended with a slight frown. “But you know what I mean. All that adrenaline, it’s bloody fantastic.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” she sighed. “I was never the fighter, in case you forgot.” He looked considerate for a moment, cocking his head to the side before speaking.
“You busy?” he asked, eying her desk for any papers that needed tending.
“No,” she replied, looking curious. “Wes gave me some reading to do in regards to the group of Fungus demons that are coming in tomorrow but I finished that—and I’m sure you really don’t want to hear about all this…point is, no I’m not busy,” she answered with a sheepish grin.
“Good,” he declared with a gleam in his eye. “You and me, we’ve got things to do. Go up to the penthouse and change into something comfortable. Then meet me on the sixth floor.”
“Um, not to sound rude, but why?” she wondered as he took her arm and led her to the door.
“You said it yourself, you were never the fighter. That’s gonna change. Now, go,” he said, pushing her inside the elevator. “You’ve got five minutes, then we start training.” She looked back and opened her mouth to argue, but the doors slid firmly closed, ending any further protest.
Spike took the second elevator to the sixth floor and waited patiently for Willow to join him once more. He didn’t know what inspired him to do this, but he didn’t care. Willow had been fighting ‘forces of evil’ since she was fifteen and still couldn’t fight properly. She could defend herself alright, especially now that she was handy with the magics. But there would be times when spells and charms wouldn’t be enough to protect herself. If he could help her and in turn be sure that she would be okay in an emergency, then he would, no questions asked.
A few minutes later, he spied the redhead stepping out tentatively of the elevator. He led her to yet another unfamiliar door and upon opening it, revealed an elaborate gym. Most of the sixth floor was for the employees to work out, it was mostly used by the groups that were deployed whenever a problem arose that needed immediate and painful attention. But at this time of day, it was empty.
Willow looked around curiously. On the far side of the room were various machines, but Spike seemed focused on the bare floor in front of them. There were hardwood floors, a large mat placed in the middle of the room for padding. There were staffs and various weapons for practice, swords and the like. The redhead couldn’t help but be impressed.
“How did you know about this place?” she inquired, returning her attention to the blonde.
“Got bored,” he admitted, “Took myself on a little tour, found this after a couple days of haunting the place. After I got my body back, I’d come here ever so often. Especially during the day, gave me something to do.”
“Now,” he started, shrugging his duster off and tossing it aside. He rubbed his hands together and looked to the witch. “Take a minute to stretch, then we’ll get started.” He watched out of the corner of his eye as she twisted and turned, admiring her without her knowledge.
Willow sighed and moved closer to him. She had changed into a pair of comfortable running shorts and a tank top, nothing special but she liked it. Her gaze fell on Spike as readied himself. After shedding his duster, he was left only in his standard black jeans and t-shirt. She bit her lip as he stretched, deciding no one should be allowed to wear a shirt that tight or perfectly fit. She couldn’t stop herself from staring when he stretched his arms above his head, his shirt raising a little so she could see a hint of his abdomen.
Spike smiled inwardly as he felt her approving gaze on him. He was starting to like this idea more and more each minute.
“Alright,” he said, calling her over. “We’ll start off slow. Bend your knees a bit…that’s it,” he encouraged, moving around her, studying her position. “Now, when you throw a punch, you gotta put your whole delectable body into it. Don’t straighten your arm too much though, you’ll hurt yourself.” He gripped her arm lightly, slowly extending her arm, allowing her to get used to the movements. He remained behind her, so close, a little too close for her comfort. But this was Spike, after all. He didn’t have any effect on her. She felt his hand slip from her arm and he stepped in front of her.
He stood before her, his feet shoulder width apart as he raised his hands, palms outward and facing her.
“I want you to hit me,” he told her, gesturing to his outstretched hands. “Don’t worry about hitting too hard, I am a vampire,” he reminded her when she glanced at him nervously. “I can take the pain.” She hesitantly extended her right arm, aiming for his left palm, barely using any force.
“Harder,” he encouraged. She sighed and did as told, but he knew she was still holding back. “Come on Red,” he groaned, “I know you can do this. It’s not that hard. Hit me,” he ordered firmly.
“This is pointless, Spike,” she declared, moving out of the stance he had put her in and taking a step back. “I’m not a fighter, and I’m kind of okay with that. I’ve got my magic, and I’ve taken care of myself all these years, I’ll be fine without knowing how to fight. And I’m sorta scrawny, even if I did hit with all my might, you wouldn’t even stumble,” she argued. She really had no real desire to learn to fight. She wasn’t anything like Buffy or Faith who, no matter how much Buffy my deny it, loved what they did. Slaying, fighting, that’s what they were born to do. She was born to be the most powerful witch in the world; that was more than enough for her.
The redhead turned away from him, not hearing the low growl he let out before he moved quickly, sweeping her legs out from under her, causing her to fall on the mat on her back.
“Ow!” she shrieked as she glared at him. He merely stood above her, eyebrow raised, lips pressed tightly together in annoyance. “What the hell was that for?!” she demanded, trying to sit up.
Spike placed his booted foot on her chest, gently pushing her back to the ground and keeping her there.
“What happens…” he drawled as he stared down at her, “when you find yourself on the ground, without weapons and proper defensive skills? I really don’t think you’re going to run across a demon who will give you the time to stand up, brush yourself off, and yell for one of us to save you. Now, you’re not daft, you need to learn how to take care of yourself. Don’t be so bloody shy!”
“I don’t need to learn how to throw a punch,” she explained as she remained flat on the floor. “All I have to do is say a quick spell. I could have you immobilized in a second,” she declared proudly, angered by his smirk.
“Really then?” he contemplated. “Try it.” She looked at him, unsure. Inwardly shrugging she figured why not. He deserved a little payback for knocking her on her ass. Her mouth opened and she suddenly felt the weight from his foot disappear, only to be replaced as he moved with quick reflexes. Willow didn’t even have a second to consider what had happened. One minute she was stuck on the floor with Spike staring down at her. The next she’s still stuck to the damn floor, but now Spike was straddling her, one hand covering her mouth, the other holding her hands tightly above her head.
“Gotta say, love, I’m not really impressed,” he grinned down at her. “Seems like I have you at my mercy…hmmm whatever shall I do?” he asked with a chuckle. “Face it pet, spells aren’t enough. Any decent enemy isn’t going to give you the opportunity to open that pretty little mouth of yours. I mean, here we are…and if I weren’t the honorable gentleman that I am, well, I could just have my wicked way with you and you couldn’t do a damn thing.” He could tell she wanted to say something and he reluctantly released his hold on her mouth.
“What makes you think I couldn’t get away?” she questioned furiously.
“Don’t see how you could,” he replied arrogantly. She sighed and smiled sweetly, causing his grip to loosen around her wrists as he realized he had proved his point. Once he relaxed, she twisted suddenly, bringing her knee up as hard as she could and hitting him squarely in the crotch.
“Bloody hell!” he screamed as he rolled to the side, gripping his injured anatomy and cringing. He was taking unneeded breaths and was slowly able to feel something other than horrifying pain as time went on. He felt himself being pushed onto his back and found a triumphant redhead straddling him, a wide grin on her face.
“That was brutal, pet,” he groaned in approval, “I’m right proud of you.”
“Figures you’d like that,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “But do you see? I can take care of myself just fine.” She had on that resolve face that everyone found so frightening, but he wasn’t anything but amused at her outburst.
“Oh, I don’t know…” he considered before he gripped her hips and rolled them so he was now on top. She glared at him when she found herself once again in this position. He felt her try to move underneath him and growled in warning. She stilled and looked at him warily. “Wouldn’t try that again, Red.”
“I think we’ve both made our points,” he decided as he looked down on her. “You can take care of yourself, okay? But you got lucky and if this were real, well…it’s quite obvious who’d be winning,” he said with a devious grin. He felt her struggle once more at his words, anger flaring in her eyes.
“I can do this all day,” he said lazily as he pinned her more firmly beneath him, “might be fun too,” he teased. “I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll let you up, but you have to promise me that you’ll let me teach you, even if it’s just a little bit.”
“And if I say no?” she asked stubbornly.
“Then we stay like this…indefinitely,” he grinned, pressing his hips into hers. She groaned and stared daggers at him.
“Fine, you can teach me how to fight,” she ground out. She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding when he moved off of her and took his hand as he pulled her to stand. “But you better not pull anything like that again, mister!” she demanded as he turned away from her to grab his duster.
“Aw, but love, it was so much fun,” he purred over his shoulder. “You get the rest of the day off, we’ll start again tomorrow, around three. And do me a favor?” he requested quietly as he looked her way. At her questioning look he smiled sheepishly, “Don’t tell Paingel that you were able to knee me in the bollocks, okay?”
She chuckled at his plea and grinned evilly. “I wouldn’t dream of it, Spikey.”
~Part: 13~
“I think we should go out tonight,” declared Fred as she shifted comfortably in her chair. She, Wesley, Gunn, and Willow were eating lunch at a quaint little café a couple blocks away from Wolfram and Hart. They each surprisingly had time on their hands in the middle of the busy Friday and decided to go someplace not crowded with demons to grab a bite to eat. The tiny brunette picked at her salad as she glanced at the others, eager to see their reactions to her suggestion.
“That might be nice,” agreed Wes with a shy smile in her direction. Gunn raised an amused eyebrow to Willow as the couple lost each other in their eyes. The redhead grinned, knowing that Wes and Fred were good for each other, if only one of them would grow a spine and tell the other how they felt.
“What do ya say Red?” asked Gunn loudly, causing the two brunettes to jump a bit and smile sheepishly at the lawyer.
“Sounds like a good idea,” Willow replied, “I haven’t been out of the office for awhile now.”
“It’s unanimous,” said Gunn as he sat back in his chair. “We’ll all meet back at Wolfram and Hart at nine, that sounds about right. We can pick a place then,” he suggested. “Do you think the vamps would want to come?”
“I might be able to drag Spike with us,” announced the witch with a slight grimace. “It’ll take some convincing but I might be able to do it. But Angel? I doubt it. He’s not really the type to go clubbing.”
“So true,” added Wesley dryly. He glanced at his watch and sighed. “Best be getting back now,” he groaned. He was quite tired, not that he would admit that to anyone. He really wanted nothing more than to climb into bed and sleep away the weekend, but Fred wanted to go out, and he could deny her nothing. But now, he had a meeting he needed to be getting to and it wouldn’t do to be late.
Gunn silently agreed and went to pay the check while the others got ready. Fred placed her napkin delicately on the table and pushed her chair back, as did Willow. Wesley sweetly offered his arm to Fred and she took it with a smile. The redhead watched the two walk away together with a reminiscent smile, one that was tinged with a hint of pain and sadness. Shaking off her sudden melancholy, she followed them to meet up with Gunn before heading out to the street.
Upon reaching Wolfram and Hart, they split up. Off to do their separate duties. Willow contemplated going back to her office, but decided she wanted to take an early leave. She walked slowly to the elevator, her good mood slightly dampened but she couldn’t place the reason why. She waited patiently for the lift to ascend, her arms wrapped around herself. The familiar ‘ding’ woke her from her thoughts and she ambled out and to her penthouse door. She slipped her key in the door and opened it quietly, doing her best not to make a lot of noise. Spike had a tendency to sleep through most of the early afternoon, and it was only around 12:30pm.
Tossing her keys onto a nearby side table, she took one look around her living room before moving to her bedroom. She was thankful she wasn’t supposed to train with Spike today. He was an…interesting teacher, to say the least. He spent more time flirting with her than teaching her moves, but that was just how he was, playful to a fault. But he was an amazing fighter and she was steadily picking things up without much difficulty. She wasn’t in the mood to train today though, her muscles were sore and she wanted to rest a little before going out tonight.
She glanced at her window, the bright midday sun shone brightly throughout the room. Her flimsy curtains did nothing to darken the interior and Willow couldn’t sleep with the sun in her eyes, it bothered her. She shrugged off her jacket and slipped off her shoes, leaving her in a pair of khakis and an olive green tank top. She padded down the hall quietly and crept inside the second bedroom. Spike always kept his curtains drawn when he went to sleep. It was partially out of habit, you spend a century protecting yourself from the sun’s harsh rays and it’s bound to be difficult to stop.
The bed shifted under her weight as she crawled up the mattress, moving to rest on the open side of the bed, sighing when her head hit the pillow. She faintly heard a muffled word of questioning before she felt an arm move to rest on her waist.
“What time is it?” mumbled Spike as he sleepily blinked open his eyes.
“It’s not even one yet,” answered Willow as she turned on her side to face him. “Didn’t mean to wake you,” she told him with an apologetic smile. “I was kinda tired, was hoping to take a little nap. If you don’t mind me stealing the covers?” she asked with a small giggle.
“Eh, I don’t feel the cold,” he shrugged before pulling the sheets over her and loosely wrapping his arms around her, a smile twitching at his lips when he sighed into his embrace and rested her head on his shoulder.
“I was gonna ask you something…” she murmured, half asleep. He shushed her and laid his head on the pillow, closing his eyes.
“Later,” he said, already falling back to sleep. “Get some rest, pet. We’ll talk later.”
“M’kay,” she replied as she buried her face in his neck and drifted off.
~~~*~~~
Willow was slowly being pulled out of her pleasant dreams, her nose itching uncomfortably. Her hand half-heartedly swatted at whatever was tickling her nose, but it didn’t stop. She distantly heard a deep chuckle before the tickling began again.
“Mmm…go away…” she demanded with a sleepy frown.
“Come on, love…” drawled Spike, grinning when she blinked and shook her head. Her eyes narrowed when she scratched her nose, spying the feather currently in his hand. “So she is alive, could have fooled me. You sleep like the dead, Red,” he smirked.
“Funny,” she groaned as she sat up and rubbed her face with the heel of her hand. “What time is it?”
“7:30,” he replied as he moved to stand. He was dressed once more in his standard black, his duster resting on his leather chair as he lounged around the penthouse.
“Crap,” she muttered as she pushed herself of the bed. “I’ve got to get ready.”
“For what?” he asked. He was surprised that she had plans. They had been doing everything together, usually consulting one another before deciding how to spend the evenings.
“We’re all going clubbing tonight,” she replied as she looked to him. “That’s what I was going to ask you about. Did you want to come?” Spike shrugged impassively. He quickly grew tired of the club scene. He only used to frequent places like that when he was hunting for a meal, but he hadn’t done that in quite sometime, so he mostly avoided them.
“Where are you going?”
“Haven’t decided,” Willow said as she straightened his bed. “Gunn, Wes, and Fred are coming by here around nine and then we’ll decide. So you in?” She was hoping he would go; she always had a better time when he joined them. The blonde rarely left her side. They always managed to have fun no matter how much both of them didn’t care for the loud noise and crowds.
“Probably not,” he replied, missing her frown when he turned away to slip on his duster. “I think I’m gonna patrol, I’m itching for a good brawl. Why don’t you leave the name of the club with Harm, I might stop by after I come back.”
“Sure,” she said quietly. He smiled brightly as he stepped forward, oblivious to her disappointment. He kissed her on the forehead and followed her out of his room, calling out a goodbye as she turned to go into her bedroom and he walked out the front door.
Willow turned on her radio as she went to search her closet, just for the noise. She didn’t know what she wanted to wear, it wasn’t really that big of a deal to her. She smiled a bit when she spied a pair of black jeans, they were patterned to look like snakeskin, and they glittered in the light. Reaching for those, she grabbed a blood red tank top and dressed leisurely.
It was a quarter until nine when she finished with her hair and makeup. She piled her hair on top of her head, the occasional tendril slipping from the clips she used. Her eyes were lined in black, her eye shadow a mix of smoky blacks, grays, and reds. Her lips were glossy and tinted a deep red. The witch grinned in satisfaction when she finally looked in the mirror. She slipped on a couple silver bracelets and her watch before grabbing her keys and going downstairs to meet her friends.
Gunn was waiting by himself in the lobby, which was still mildly busy even though it was night. He greeted the redhead with a smile and they spoke softly as they waited for Fred and Wesley to arrive. They were only there for five minutes before the missing two finally showed up.
“Any ideas where we’re headed?” wondered Willow.
“I was thinking, we could go to this place—‘Harlow’s’,” suggested Gunn. “It’s pretty popular and there is supposed to be a decent band playing tonight.”
“Fine with me,” she said as she looked to Wes and Fred. They each nodded in agreement. “Just let me do something really quick,” she added before turning to the secretary’s desk a few feet away.
Willow grabbed a business card out of its holder, one of many, and scribbled the name of the club they had decided on for Spike. She took a deep breath and looked up.
“Harmony? Can you do me a favor?” The blonde looked disgusted at the very idea of helping the witch, but she had received a stern reprimand from Angel only days before about her hostile behavior and tried her best to seem nice.
“What?” she asked as she spared the redhead a glance then returned her attention to her nails.
“Can you give this to Spike when he gets back?” she requested, her hand outstretched to hand her the business card. Harmony raised a condescending eyebrow at the witch and hesitantly took the piece of paper.
“And why should I do that?” she sighed.
“Because, we’re going out tonight and he *asked* me to leave the name of the club with you for when he comes back from patrol,” Willow explained impatiently.
“Wait. Everyone is going out and no one bothered to ask me if *I* wanted to go?!” she complained with a glare.
“Asking you to join us would imply that we like you,” the redhead countered sharply. “Just give him the message, okay?” She ignored the blonde’s indignant huffing as she rejoined the small group and left to get in the car.
~~~*~~~
After dusting a rather pathetic fledgling that was stupid enough to attack him, Spike continued his walk through the park, which held the occasional teen or twenty-something, looking for a shortcut home. He felt a little bad for not going with Willow tonight, even though he reasoned with himself that there was no need to feel like he had abandoned the girl. They were friends, the only real one he had really. But that was all, so what if they didn’t spend one night together? It wasn’t a big deal. But he couldn’t help but feel like he should be there, be with her. No doubt Paingel wasn’t in attendance that evening, which left the redhead with only Charlie, Fred, and Wes. Not the best of company. Charlie wasn’t that bad, and Fred was a nice chit and all, but a bit on the boring side. And he didn’t even want to think about that nonce of an ex-watcher.
It was past midnight when he stopped to take a smoke. He forced himself to exhale, watching the hazy white tendrils linger in the air. He didn’t know why he felt so different tonight, why patrolling by his lonesome didn’t feel as satisfying as it usually did. The only reason he was out here was because he thought he was starting to spend too much time hanging out with Red, he felt almost…housebroken.
But he actually enjoyed his time with the witch. She was damn funny, so smart, which was a definite change from the likes of Harmony, plus she was pretty easy on the eyes. Teaching her self-defense was becoming a favorite way to spend the day. She was a quick learner, and he got to tease the girl all he liked.
He didn’t really fancy having to hang out with a bunch of shallow club-goers, but he reluctantly found himself missing Willow’s presence and decided to do good on his offer to join them. It made him feel like a complete and total ponce, but he was sick of wandering around all of L.A., he wanted to be with his witch.
~~~*~~~
She was having a good time. That’s what she kept telling herself as she sat at the table in the north end of Harlow’s, near the entrance. Willow checked her watch, seeing that it was now past one in the morning. Her gaze fell to the door and then back to the table. Spike wasn’t coming, that much was obvious. He had to be done with patrol by now. Either Harmony didn’t tell him where they were, or he decided he’d rather stay in tonight. She sipped at her drink, wishing now that she had drank more earlier that night, maybe she’d be wasted by now. At least she had a chance of really enjoying herself if she was drunk.
The band playing was mediocre. They weren’t bad, but not very good, just average. Fred was out on the floor, dancing with Wesley. Gunn was chatting with a girl he had met a couple hours before. Which left her by herself. There had been a couple of guys that had approached her, asking her to dance, and she did. It was kind of nice at first, but her feet were starting to hurt so she remained sitting quietly at the table. This brought back memories from Sunnydale, of high school. She remembered nights just like this, when Buffy and Xander would go dance the night away while she sat at the table awkwardly. She always felt alone at times like those. But then Oz came along and she had someone to sit with, to dance with, to just be with. She wasn’t the third, or fifth wheel, once Cordy and Xander became an item and Buffy and Angel were still going out.
And then Oz was gone and she was left to pick up the pieces by herself. Her friends had been less than supportive and she found herself trying to drink away her sorrows, even do a spell, which so didn’t work, she remembered with a shudder. And then came Tara, and she wasn’t alone anymore. The blonde filled that void Oz had left in her. She was sweet and loving and attentive, everything Willow needed. They had some rough times, but they were so good together. And then she was gone.
Willow had tried to forget about love for awhile, it only led to inevitable heartache and loneliness. But then there was Kennedy. What they had wasn’t deep or meaningful, but it was nice. It was time to end it, that she knew those few weeks ago when she left for California. And she was fine with that. Willow loved it in L.A., and most of the time she enjoyed her life immensely. Most of the time. But there were days like these, when seeing all these people with someone to turn to, just made her long for something that she didn’t have anymore.
She supposed her turn toward the introspective was partly due to Spike’s absence tonight. If he were here, then there would be no reason to feel so lonely. When they spent time together, he always had her laughing and smiling, he took her mind off things. They had spent so much time together that she hadn’t had time to feel bad for herself, to feel pitiful about her lack of a love life.
Her finger traced the rim of her glass before downing the rest of her drink in one shot. She glanced once more at Fred and Wes and smiled sadly. They were cute together. She missed being part of the ‘cute couple’. She grimaced at her pathetic thoughts and stood abruptly. She debated whether or not to tell one of the group that she was leaving, but decided against it. She knelt down, searching the small pile underneath their table where they had stashed their purses. She bit her lip as she tried to fend off another wave of sadness.
Spike walked through the entrance, scanning the dance floor for the redhead he came to see. He frowned when he couldn’t find her. He spied the ex-watcher, the scientist, and the lawyer all dancing and laughing, but he couldn’t find the witch. He finally spotted a flash of red hair from a few feet away and smiled. He went to join her but halted in his steps when he saw the sorrowful look on her pretty face. She ducked her head and moved to the back exit, shoulders slumped. His feet finally moved forward and he walked quickly to follow her.
He had slipped out the back door and looked around the alleyway for any sign of her. He couldn’t see her but he did pick her scent up on the breeze. He jogged out of the alley and turned to the right, seeing the girl he was looking for walking briskly down the street.
“Red!” he called out as he tried to close up the distance between them. She paused mid-step and tentatively turned to glance behind her. “Pet, wait up.” She remained rooted to her spot as he moved to her side, smiling warmly down at her.
Spike froze when he saw the unshed tears in her vibrant green eyes. His hand reached out and gently wiped away a stray tear that made its way down her cheek. She looked away from his concerned gaze and he stepped closer.
“Love, what’s wrong?” he asked softly, honestly worried. Red had always been a strong chit, and now she was in tears. He didn’t know what could have happened, but he knew if anyone had hurt her he would make them pay. “What did those pillocks do?”
“They didn’t do anything, Spike,” she told him with a pained smile. She was happy to see him, surprised that he actually came by, even though it was so late. But as much as she loved having him around, she couldn’t help but feel that he couldn’t help her right now. Being with him, having him with her all the time, it filled her with a false sense of comfort. They weren’t a couple, they were just friends. But tonight, being alone, it just reminded her that she didn’t have anyone, and that she missed it terribly. Seeing Fred and Wes so comfortable with each other, just holding each other as they danced, smiling and just reveling in the other’s presence. She didn’t have anyone that was that happy to see her, not anymore.
“What happened?” Spike wondered, pulling her into a hug.
“Tonight just made me think…made me remember,” she whispered, her voice thick.
“Remember what?”
Willow pulled away from him after a moment and started to walk once more, Spike immediately falling into step with her, still waiting for an answer. She smiled sadly, trying to paste on a happy face as she turned her head toward him. He slipped a strong arm around her shoulder and she was thankful for his presence, glad that he cared. She sighed and looked to the ground before responding quietly.
“Remember what it’s like to be alone…”
~Part: 14~
Spike couldn’t get her to talk to him anymore. It frustrated him more than anything. Willow walked in agonizing silence, the blonde’s arm still firmly around her shoulders. He wished she would just confide in him, tell him what caused such a change in her demeanor. The entire time she had been in L.A. she had been nothing but happy and excited, but tonight she just lost all trace of that earlier joy. She had been fine that afternoon, as far as he remembered. She joked with him, was relaxed in his company, but now it was almost as if she didn’t acknowledge his presence at all. There would be the occasional glance his way, a reassuring smile pasted on her face, but it was merely for his benefit.
They reached the penthouse in a matter of minutes, Willow pulling away from him the second they walked through the door. He frowned as she dropped her purse on the side table and stumbled down the hall, going into her bedroom and closing the door quietly behind her. He ran a hand over his face and shook his head as he moved to his own room. He closed his door behind him with a muffled click and looked to the floor.
“Bugger…” he sighed as he shrugged off his duster and stripped off his t-shirt. He fell into his overstuffed chair, staring blankly at the television screen as he tried his best to think what could have bothered Red.
Spending so much time with her, he swore he should be able figure her out by now. He had known her for years, and especially in the past few weeks they had grown close. But tonight she was shutting him out and he couldn’t tell if it was because she was arguing with herself or because she just didn’t want to speak with him, to share her feelings with him…a demon.
The vampire thought over her words to him, remembering the longing and sadness in her voice when she told him that tonight just made her remember what it was like to be alone. He could sympathize with her sentiments, he supposed. He felt like that a bit tonight. He had wandered the streets of the city, hating himself for missing the redhead. It wasn’t that he didn’t like her, he did, he cared about her—a lot. That was the problem. He was independent, always had been. And when he let himself unlive for someone else, namely Dru, he had his heart stomped on and his pride crushed. He had been determined, after the mess that Dru had made, to be on his own, to never let someone else in. But he couldn’t push her away. Willow was too sweet and too giving for him to treat her like…well, like he treated Angel.
He thought they were friends, and in his heart he knew they were, but her distance moments before hurt him. She had to know that she was the only reason he even bothered to show up that night. He would never drag his arse out to a club for Peaches or the ex-watcher. The shrill ringing of the phone caused him to start. He pushed himself out of his chair, but the ringing had stopped by the time he had reached his phone. Willow must have gotten it.
Spike closed his door behind him as he went into the hallway to Willow’s door. He could hear her speaking in hushed tones to the person on the other line, but couldn’t make out what she was saying. The talking stopped after a moment and he knocked softly on her door. He poked his head in her room, frowning when he saw the redhead climbing into bed. Most nights she slept with him, it was sort of an understanding between the two of them. She didn’t like sleeping alone and he didn’t mind having a warm body to rest next to.
“Who rang, pet?” She looked up at him and he stepped inside her bedroom, taking a seat on the edge of her bed.
“Fred,” she answered, “She wanted to know where I went, to see if I was okay.”
“And are you?” he asked hesitantly.
“Am I what?” she countered, consciously avoiding the question.
“Are you okay?” he clarified, looking deep into her telling eyes.
“Yeah,” she sighed, breaking their stare. “I feel kinda stupid,” she admitted with a sheepish smile. “I mean, overreact much?” she added with a self-conscious chuckle.
“What happened?” he prodded, seeing she might be willing to share with him. He scooted closer to her, taking her hand in his, his thumb making circles on her palm in a comforting manner.
“It kinda started at lunch,” she explained, her free hand picking at her comforter. “Just seeing Fred and Wes together, I don’t know, I miss that. They would get lost in each other’s eyes, the shared smiles and flirty giggles. They love each other, whether they admit it or not. Oz and I used to be like that. We were so cute together it was almost nauseating,” she commented with a grin. “Then we went out and Fred and Wes were practically attached at the hip, and Gunn was off with some girl, and there I was, table-sitting…again.”
Her eyes were glazed and he realized that she was lost in memories. He said nothing, just waited.
“I was alone in high school, when Buffy had Angel and Xander had Cordy, I was alone. Everyone had someone who wanted to be with them, even Giles had Miss Calendar. But nobody wanted me, my own best friend didn’t want to acknowledge that I thought I was in love with him.” A pained smile crossed her face and she continued. “Then Oz was there and he liked me, really liked *me*. Things were good, perfect even. Should have seen it coming. He told me he loved me, but when he saw her, when he saw Veruca, he wanted her. More than he ever wanted me. He gave up everything we had and slept with her, and then he just left. He gave me no choice in the matter, it was for my own good, that’s what he told me. And I was alone again.”
Spike pulled her into a loose embrace as she spoke, stroking her hair gently.
“Nobody cared, hell I think you were the only one that noticed I was hurting badly. God, I expected Buffy, of all people, to understand. I mean, she loved Angel and he left her, and she did nothing but grieve for months. But I was devastated and it was unacceptable to them. I was expected to get over it in a week, to be perky, happy Willow again. They didn’t care, they just wanted me to stop whining. That hurt.” She wiped away a stray tear. “Then I met Tara and everything was so different with her, so new. I even chose her over Oz. It took awhile for everyone to accept her, but it worked out. We had our trouble, sure, but we managed to get past it, to finally be happy with one another. And then he took her away.”
“I went crazy, as you well know,” she added with a frown. “And when I returned from England early, I was isolated again. Nobody trusted me, not Buffy, not Dawn, not even Xander. I understood, but that doesn’t make it any easier. It was like, they were one big group and I was the outcast, the bad seed. It made me feel like I wasn’t good enough, not pure enough to be a Scooby again.” Willow looked into his eyes once more, smiling slightly when she saw the concern and worry in those blue orbs.
“I was never good enough, you see,” she explained, stating her words like fact. “My parents always thought I could do better in school, even though I got all A’s. I was never desirable enough to make Xander want me. I was never pretty enough to gain Cordelia’s acceptance. I wasn’t strong like Buffy, as resourceful as Giles. And after awhile, I accepted that. And it became easier to forget that I was alone when I surrounded myself with people. But tonight just made me remember those days in school, when everyone else had fun, fell in love, and I was simply table-sitting.”
“I’ve been spending so much time with you,” she said with a small grin. “You’re a lot more fun that I thought you would be too. But this was the first time in awhile where I was on my own and I got to thinking, it’s a habit of mine unfortunately. I over-think everything really. I just—I just wish that somebody would want me. I see Wes and Fred and I want what they have. I want to love someone and have someone love me as much. But sadly, my track record sucks. I’m just trying to come to terms with being alone. I like my life, I have great friends and a cool job, that’s enough. It has to be,” she whispered, bowing her head.
“You’re wrong,” he said, finally bringing himself to speak up. He tucked a finger under her chin and forced to look back up at him. “You’ve always been better than the lot of ‘em, you know that. The wolf, he was a right prat for cheating on you. You deserve better than that git. Everyone has bad luck in love. Bloody hell, look at me. I’ve lived for over a century and the first chit that I loved thought I was beneath her and the second was a loony bint in love with her bastard of a sire. Besides, third times a charm, right? We’ll find the ones we’re meant to be with, just give it time, pet.”
“But Kennedy was the third,” she argued, her eyes downcast.
“You didn’t love the chit,” Spike replied. “You told me as much. So she doesn’t count.”
“Oh really,” she said with a raised eyebrow. “You made the rules?”
“Nah, just tinkered with them a bit,” he teased with a grin. “You, my pet, are too damn special to resign yourself to a lonely existence. And if you tell anyone I gave you a pep talk, I’ll torture you, soul or not,” he warned playfully.
“You’re secrets safe with me. Can’t have word get out that the Big Bad is really a big softie,” she giggled at his growl. He wiped away the remainder of her tears and smiled.
“All better now, love?” She nodded tiredly and he released her face as she moved to lie back in her bed. “You want some company, Red?” he offered.
“Nah,” she murmured as she snuggled deep into the covers. “I think I’m good. Besides, I’ve been bothering you too much lately. You should go to bed. Bad thoughts are all gone,” she assured him with a sleepy smile. He smiled in return, a little sad that she wanted to be alone but following her wishes.
“Night pet,” he whispered, kissing her on the forehead before turning off her lamp and heading to the door.
“Spike?” she called out. He stopped at the doorway and looked back. “I’m glad you came tonight…”
“Think nothing of it, ducks,” he told her with a smile. “Sleep well.”
~Part: 15~
Willow left the penthouse a little before eleven in the morning to go to the grocery store. She knew she could easily have food delivered but she needed something to do. Saturday mornings were always slow and she wanted sometime by herself. Spike would be asleep for a few more hours, but she didn’t want to take the chance that he would wake up early. He would probably want to talk, make sure she was still okay after her little outburst the night before. She just really didn’t want to talk about it anymore. She was more embarrassed than anything.
But she had no plans to stay inside and brood today. So she found herself wandering the aisles of the local supermarket, trying to decide what she wanted to buy. Her cart was full of cereal boxes and snack food; she didn’t get a lot of actual food. For one, she couldn’t cook, and two, she and Spike tended to go out to eat, even though the vampire had no need for real food. She smiled when she spotted a box of Wheetabix, knowing that he liked that stuff, gave blood texture or something she really didn’t care to remember. She grabbed it and tossed it into the ever growing pile.
She had this epiphany the night before when she was lying in her bed. She and Spike, they did everything together. She loved having him at her side all the time, but she was a bit afraid that she was growing too dependent on him. Hell, she had been sleeping in his bed. True, there was nothing sexual going on there, but she would never have done anything like that before moving to L.A. Maybe she shouldn’t do so much with him anymore. They did live together; there was no need to spend every waking moment with each other. She enjoyed his company immensely but they weren’t any sort of couple and she was afraid that if they continued as they were, she would grow too attached to him. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to handle his leaving if she spent all her time with him still.
He was going to leave, that was inevitable. He had unwittingly reminded her of that fact the night before. As he said, three’s a charm. He would fall in love with some girl and their time together would lessen. Then he would move out and she would be on her own again. That was the way of the world. Everybody left. Even she left. She left Kennedy, that was the only time that she was responsible for walking away from a relationship. So she would distance herself a bit from Spike, just to make it easier in the future.
She gathered her thoughts once more and pushed her cart toward the checkout line. She’d think about this more later. Right now she was ready to get back to Wolfram and Hart.
When she reached the office once more she frowned. She didn’t know how she was going to carry all these bags up to the penthouse in one trip. The redhead heard footsteps behind her and smiled at the older gentleman who worked for security patrolling the parking garage.
“Need any help there Miss?” he asked with a gentle smile.
“Yeah. I have a lot of bags I need to get up to my place. Could you--?” He waved her off and reached for his walkie-talkie. She heard him ask for a group of people to come down to help her. She blushed a bit at all the attention as three men entered the garage through a side door.
“Could you guys just bring all this up to my place?” she requested.
“You’re not coming?” the kindly security guard wondered.
“No, I’m in a mood to wander the city, at least for the day. Thanks for all the help,” she offered and waited until the trunk was completely unloaded before climbing back into the driver’s seat of her car and starting the engine.
She drove for awhile with no destination in mind. She stopped at a rather spacious park around one o’clock for some fresh air, or at least as fresh as the air gets in smoggy Los Angeles. She considered calling up Fred for another girl’s day but decided against it. Even though she had assured the brunette that she was fine, the woman was bound to have questions about her disappearance the night before. Willow just wasn’t eager to share her insecurities, even though she knew she would get nothing but sympathy from the girl.
That was part of the reason she didn’t want to tell. She didn’t want sympathy or pity, it didn’t help, it only made her feel worse. There were only two reasons she told Spike what happened. One, he wouldn’t judge her or pity her; and two, he wouldn’t give up until he knew what was bothering her. He’d be like one of those annoying little dogs nipping at her heels until she finally broke down and told him her worries. She just hoped that now that they did the whole sharing bit, he’d let it go. She wanted nothing more than to forget her embarrassing display.
Around three-thirty she returned to her car, amazed at the amount of time that had passed just sitting and thinking in the park. She was ready to go back to Wolfram and Hart just yet so she stopped at a nearby café, ordering an iced mocha before finding a small table, out of the way from the rest of the weekend crowd. The sun was to go down a little after five-thirty and she had every intention of being back to penthouse by then. She could just hear the lecture Spike would be giving her if she stayed out past dusk all by herself without her usual slaying supplies. Never mind that she *was* the most powerful witch in the world and she didn’t need all those weapons. He wouldn’t listen to her argument, he was stubborn like that.
The redhead smiled absently as she pictured Spike irately pacing the length of their living room, ranting about being safe in the big city, occasionally sparing her a glare. He meant well, even if he was a little overprotective.
Minutes passed by quickly and Willow made her way back to the car, taking her time getting back. The sun was just beginning to set, the sky a haze of pinks, purples, and reds. The elevator ride up to her penthouse was fast and uneventful and the witch quietly let herself inside, just in case Spike was still in bed. Her tiptoeing proved useless when a slightly disgruntled voice greeted her.
“No need to be all quiet as a mouse, love,” griped Spike as he walked out of his bedroom, closing the door behind him. “I’ve been awake for hours, ever since that bloody army of gits trampled through here. What the hell was that about?!” he demanded, still annoyed at having his beauty sleep disturbed.
“Sorry about that,” she said, cringing at his obvious irritation. “I went shopping this morning, for groceries,” she explained. “I had too many bags though so I found these guys to help me carry them up here so I wouldn’t have to make all those trips. I kinda forgot to tell them to be quiet.”
“Yeah, well,” he muttered, his anger abated, “don’t do it again.” She nodded furiously and he smiled a bit. He fell onto the couch, laid out on the cushions comfortably; only sitting up so Willow could sit at the end before lying back down, his head resting on her lap. “What were you up to today? Other than the obvious shopping and waking me up at ungodly hours?”
“I just went out,” she shrugged, absentmindedly running her fingers through his hair. “Felt like having some alone time. Just me and my brain.”
“That sounds…boring,” he commented with a smirk. She mock glared at him and rolled her eyes.
“Maybe to you it does,” she argued, “but I sometimes need to be by myself. I think better when I have no distractions, and today I needed to think.”
“Oh, so is that what I am? A distraction?” he teased with a playful pout.
“Yeah you are, but the best kind,” she replied with a grin, which he returned completely.
“Well, okay then, just checking,” he chuckled. She sighed and leaned back against the cushions. “So, you got any plans for another night on the town tonight?” he wondered.
“After the disaster that was last night?” she scoffed.
“I’ll take that as a no,” he mused with a half-grin.
“That’s a Hell no,” she replied with a shake of her head. He snorted before sitting up and moving to stand.
“Good,” he said as he crossed the room to the stereo system and began rummaging through his and her CDs. The redhead merely looked on, curious at to what he had planned. He apparently found was he was looking for and she cocked her head to the side when she heard music spill from the stereo’s speakers. It wasn’t the typical loud, angry song that Spike usually listened to. Instead, there was a sparse drum beat, eventually accompanied by the strains of a guitar. It sounded vaguely familiar and knew this had to be one of her CDs.
Without saying a word, he moved to stand in front of her, extending his hand in invitation. She took it without hesitation and he pulled her to stand. He led to the middle of the living room where no furniture would get in their way. He brought her close to him, one arm around her waist, his other hand still clasping her own as he brought them to rest on his chest as he rocked them back and forth.
“Spike, what are you--” she started but he stopped her.
“To make up for last night,” he told her with a genuine smile of affection. “You wanted to go dancing and I should have been there. So, we’re dancing.” She went to protest, no doubt to tell him this was unnecessary but he hushed her. “Just listen…” he said, smiling when she finally relaxed and listened to the music.
Solitude stands by the window
She turns her head as I walk in the room
I can see by her eyes she’s been waiting
Standing in the slant of the late afternoon
And she turns to me with her hand extended
Her palm is split with a flower with a flame
She settled against him comfortably, allowing him to lead them as they swayed to the beat gently. He honestly felt bad, not knowing that his absence would cause such a reaction from Willow. He knew he wasn’t the sole reason she had broken down, but if she hadn’t been alone, maybe he could have just leant an ear, made all this easier for her. But he hadn’t wanted to go out and he left her on her own. Right now, he wanted to make up for it. They didn’t have to go out to go dancing, plus this way he could pick the music and he wouldn’t have to listen to crap they played at those clubs.
Solitude stands in the doorway
And I’m struck again by her black silhouette
By her long cool stare and her silence
I suddenly remember each time we’ve met
And she turns to me with her hand extended
Her palm is split with a flower with a flame
He felt her grin against his shoulder as she sighed. He released her hand that was in his own and she wrapped her arms around his neck loosely as both his arms did the same to her waist. He had to reluctantly admit, this felt nice.
And she says “I’ve come to set a twisted thing straight”
And she says “I’ve come to lighten this dark heart”
And she takes my wrist, I feel her imprint of fear
And I said “I’ve never thought of finding you here”
And then she turns to me with her hand extended
Her palm is split with a flower with a flame
Willow was surprised, but pleasantly so. She knew he felt a little guilty about last night, even though he had no reason to. He had quickly become a best friend to her and she understood how he felt. If he had some break down of his own, she would feel guilty as well. But this was just sweet, and that made her smile. Spike liked to tell everyone he was a badass, which he was truthfully, but he had such capacity for kindness. This just proved it. She never thought he would do anything like this for her. For one, he *hated* to dance, he thought it was poofy. But here he was, the Big Bad, slow dancing with some human. She never thought she’d see the day.
And she says “I’ve come to set a twisted thing straight”
And she says “I’ve come to lighten this dark heart”
And she takes my wrist, I feel her imprint of fear
And I said “I’ve never thought of finding you here”
Spike buried his face in her fragrant red hair, feeling unusually calm and at peace. He only did this to cheer her up, which seemed to be working thankfully, he hadn’t meant to enjoy it. He used to hate any sort of dancing. He supposed that was because the only time he used to was when Dru demanded that he dance with her. She liked to be spun and twirled, but he just found it boring and annoying. He only did what she asked of him. But this time, he got to set the pace, he got to lead and he was reluctantly having a good time. Willow wasn’t Dru, she didn’t want to be spun in circles, she was just content to be held.
Solitude stands in the doorway
And I’m struck once again by her black silhouette
By her long cool stare and her silence
I suddenly remember each time that we’ve met
And she turns to me with her hand extended
Her palm is split with a flower with a flame
The music began to slowly fade and Willow pulled back a little, not leaving his embrace. She looked up into his icy blue eyes, smiling widely. Her eyes sparkled like emeralds as she beamed at him, looking completely happy for the first time in nearly two days.
Spike couldn’t look away if he wanted to, she looked so beautiful, her face practically lit up the room. He smiled at her obvious elation and moved his hand to gently caress the side of her face as she unintentionally leaned into his touch.
She opened her mouth to speak, to thank him, but her words turned into an unexpected moan when his lips met hers, her eyes widening in surprise before closing as she surrendered to the sensations he created. Her hand tentatively gripped the back of his neck as she fervently returned his once hesitant and now passionate kiss. Her chest was tightening, signaling her need to breathe, which she only did once he released her.
The blonde stepped back, shocked by his own actions. He hadn’t meant to kiss her, but she was looking up at him, so happy and gorgeous and he forgot to think. This was Willow, his best friend, he couldn’t do that to her. She didn’t think of him like that, and he was so confused, he didn’t know what to think.
Willow watched him with wide eyes, unsure what to say. He seemed to arguing with himself and she knew when he got like this it was best to leave him alone. She wasn’t sure what to make of his actions. Not that she was complaining, kissing Spike was by no means a bad experience. She saw him glance her way before immediately looking away. She took a step forward, stopping when he backed away, looking to the front door.
“Spike--” she started but didn’t the chance to finish before he interrupted.
“I’ve got to go—patrol,” he explained hastily, not even looking her way before he straightened his duster quickly and practically ran out the door. All Willow could do is look to the door, her eyes regaining the underlying sadness that had been plaguing her. He was upset about kissing her, it shouldn’t have happened. It was still early in the evening, but right now she wanted nothing more than to climb into bed and forget today ever happened. She stumbled down the hallway, closing and locking her bedroom door behind her before resting her head against the wooden surface and exhaling sharply. This just wasn’t her weekend.
~Part: 16~
It was only minutes before sunrise when Spike finally returned to the penthouse. He hadn’t meant to stay out so long, but he needed time to think. Trouble was he couldn’t think straight. Everything was so jumbled and confused; his mind was an absolute tangle. He couldn’t believe he had done something so stupid like kiss Red. Not that he didn’t like it mind you, it just shouldn’t have happened. Trust him to bugger up the one good thing he had going. She was his best friend and his rash and impulsive actions possibly wrecked the comfortable friendship they managed to establish.
The blonde had spent most of the evening stumbling about the city, only stopping to stake the occasional daft fledgling who dared cross his path. He was tempted to find a pub to drown his sorrows in cheap scotch, but he resisted. He always managed to make a situation worse when he was plastered. Prime example, that whole love spell mess. He couldn’t have been more pathetic, crying on some little girl’s shoulder because the loony bint left him. But this was so much worse; he didn’t even have the luxury of a shoulder to cry on. The girl he leaned on was the one responsible for his current plight. No, that wasn’t true. He was entirely responsible for this problem and he would deal with it alone. Who else was there to confide in? Peaches? He wasn’t that desperate, well, not yet anyway.
He came home, not surprised to see that Willow wasn’t awake. It was late, after all, plus she probably had no desire to see him. His shoulders sagged as he took a look around, amazed that he actually considered this penthouse home. Not just some place to crash, but home. He wondered if she would still want him to stay here. If she insisted, he would leave. He didn’t want her to be uncomfortable, especially not because of him.
Creeping quietly down the hall, he paused in front of his door. Moving away from his bedroom, he walked to Willow’s door. With a tentative hand he reached for the doorknob, turning it gently, feeling the need to speak with her, or at least to see that she was okay. His un-beating heart dropped in his chest when he realized she had locked her door behind her, ensuring that he would have no access to her.
Spike laid his hand on the door, his palm flat against the wood. Letting out a deep, regretful sigh, he looked down to the floor. “Night pet…” he murmured before turning away and shuffling to his room in resignation.
Willow laid in bed, her eyes focused on her door. She heard Spike come home minutes before, glad that he was back. She couldn’t sleep and had begun to worry when it was nearing dawn and the blonde was still gone. She heard his booted feet pad their way down the hall and stop, before moving again. She froze when she heard the rattle of her turning doorknob, ashamed to be a little relieved when the lock held fast. She wasn’t angry with him, but she was in no mood to hear his inevitable speech of regret. She knew he didn’t want her and would do anything if they could just remain friends, but she really didn’t want him to see her cry. Not again, not because of him.
She heard his whispered goodnight and smiled slightly. He was home, he was safe, now she was sure she could sleep. Hopefully when she woke she would feel better. Burying herself further under the covers she yawned and blinked sleepily. “Sleep well, Spike…”
~~~*~~~
Both blonde and redhead slept restlessly through the morning and early afternoon. It was only Sunday and Willow had no commitments until Monday so she wasn’t worried about running late. The witch groaned as she crawled out of bed and took a quick shower before dressing in a pair of comfortable jeans and her old red and yellow Sunnydale High t-shirt. She brushed her wet hair into a loose ponytail and ambled into the kitchen.
The apartment was unusually quiet, signaling that Spike had not yet woken. She reached the kitchen, looking through the cabinets until she found the cereal she bought. She poured herself a bowl, adding milk like usual. Instead of sitting down, she reached for the coffee pot, knowing that while she normally avoided caffeine in all forms but today seemed to call for it. She heard the shower turn on once more and poured herself a cup of coffee, adding a little milk before bringing it to the table as well and taking a seat.
She was munching calmly, her gaze drifting over the expanse of the kitchen. It definitely was the one room left in need of some personal touches. She heard bare feet slap against the tile and looked to the doorway.
“Hey Spike,” she greeted shyly, smiling a little. He glanced at her nervously before looking away. He nodded his head in her direction and proceeded to the refrigerator. He rummaged through the contents until he found a bag of blood, throwing it in the microwave and waiting the standard minute until it was ready. He poured it into his designated mug and took a seat across from the redhead.
“This is stupid,” Willow declared bluntly, a frown marring her pretty face. He looked up in surprise, raising a questioning eyebrow. “This,” she clarified, gesturing to the two of them. “We’re friends Spike. This whole ignoring each other thing is stupid. We’re both mature adults, well, one of us is mature,” she amended with a teasing glare.
“You’re right,” he agreed as he sat back. “Not about the maturity bit, I can be right mature when called for. But yeah, this is stupid.” She was glad when he finally looked her in the eye.
“Okay,” she started, just wanting to get this over with. “So, we both know that last night was a—mistake,” her voice broke a little and she hoped he didn’t notice. “You don’t think of me like…that, so there’s no need for the awkward conversation that neither one of us want to get into. But you’ve been a great friend to me and I don’t want this to be a problem.”
He didn’t say anything for a moment. Spike was tempted to correct her, to tell her that it wasn’t a mistake, that he did think of her like that. And he noticed that she never made any attempt to tell him that she didn’t think of him like that. But he was probably reading too much into it. Just because she didn’t deny that she liked him, didn’t mean that she wanted more between them. But the most important thing, she still wanted to be friends and he was relieved that she was so willing to put this incident aside.
“Right then,” he finally replied. “All’s forgotten no harm no foul. We’ll just…erase this embarrassing little scene from our minds,” he added with a nervous chuckle. She smiled and tried to laugh as casually as he did.
The blonde stood to rinse out his mug as Willow stood. He smiled shakily at her and went to go into the living room, but her voice stopped him.
“Can I--” she started, biting her lip nervously. “Can I ask you something?”
Spike stopped in the doorway, leaning against the frame dressed in his familiar black denim and t-shirt, his duster still in his room. He nodded curiously and waited.
“Why…why did you do it?” She didn’t know why she was asking him this. Maybe she was a glutton for punishment, but she just felt as if she had to know. What she had to know she wasn’t sure of. Maybe if he meant anything by it. If he felt anything. Or if it was just as she said, a mistake, something to be forgotten.
“Why—why did I kiss you?” he questioned, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He wasn’t sure if he should tell her the truth. That she looked beautiful just staring up at him with those sparkling green eyes, that he had been feeling things he wasn’t sure he wanted to recognize. Or if he should lie, tell her it was no big deal, he didn’t mean anything by it. One would leave him bare and vulnerable; the other would protect him, even if it wasn’t the truth. It would save him further embarrassment and possible rejection.
“Just an impulse,” he shrugged, unable to look her in the eye. That frustrated him to no end. He had lied unashamedly for over a century, looked someone in the eye and simply told them what he wanted them to hear. But he couldn’t do that to her, he couldn’t lie to her as he had to any unimportant, useless human. She deserved better than that.
“An impulse,” she repeated softly. Her eyes fell to the floor, taking a deep breath, trying to push down the hurt she felt at his words. When she looked up a moment later he was no longer lingering in the doorway. She heard the murmur of the television and sighed, moving to rinse out her dish. “Just an impulse…”
~Part: 17~
Angel looked up from his cluttered desk with a frown. He had a rather boring weekend and he loved it. True, he enjoyed the occasional ass kicking, but he reveled in the chance to just sit back, read, and maybe catch up on his brooding. The sun was shining into his office, in a nice non-fatal way thankfully, but he couldn’t appreciate it. It was a Monday and everyone knows, Mondays suck.
The morning was now gone, the early afternoon passing as quickly. He had been awake since eight in the morning, attending meetings, consulting with Wesley on some inscriptions that were giving the researcher some problems, but now he was bored. The brunette leaned back in his chair, his feet resting on the top of his desk, legs crossed at the ankles. A light knock sounded at his door and his feet dropped from their perch as he leaned forward, trying his best to look professional.
“Yeah?” Okay, stupid greeting he had to admit, but he wasn’t CEO material. He was two and a half centuries old, he had no idea how to run a modern business.
“Hey,” said a gentle voice causing the vampire to smile and wave her in.
“Willow, anything I can help you with?” he offered as she crossed the room. Her movements were a little nervous and she smiled quickly before taking a seat in front of him.
“I know you and I aren’t really close,” she started as he listened curiously. “But I was wondering if I could ask your advice on something?”
“Anything Will,” he assured her. “I know I’m not…big with the emotions, but you’re my friend. Now what did you want to ask?”
“I don’t even know how to phrase this,” she grumbled. “Have you ever had a really good friendship, I mean like best friends, get so screwed up by one tiny little mistake?”
“Yeah,” he replied softly, thinking back to Cordelia. “Cordy and I, we were good friends, believe it or not. I could tell her anything, and she wouldn’t let me get away with anything. You know how—blunt she was,” he chuckled. “But the mistake that screwed everything up, not so tiny. She sorta slept with Co--” he started but stopped himself. He hated having to remind himself that no one remembered Connor. “She slept with this guy, somebody I knew very well. After that things were just weird. We still talked, she was still there for me, but there wasn’t the same closeness for awhile. I missed that.”
Willow didn’t say anything for sometime, instead staring intently at her joined hands resting in her lap.
“So you weren’t able to forget it?” she mumbled. “Just, you know, forget it ever happened and move on?”
He debated whether to tell her what she wanted to hear, or the truth. To tell her that everything could easily go back to normal. To tell her that indiscretions and mistakes could be pushed out of sight and never mentioned again. “Doesn’t work like that…”
She nodded, still looking away. He was being honest and she had to appreciate that.
“It all depends though,” he added, sitting farther back in his chair. “It depends if what happened was a betrayal, of sorts; or if it was more personal, just between the two of you, no outside sources. Betrayals are harder to ignore, but when it’s personal…let’s just say it’s never simple.”
“But why does it have to be so awkward after?” she complained. True, things could be much worse. She and Spike were still friends, he didn’t betray her or anything. But now that easy camaraderie was filled with nervous giggles and periods of awkward silence. Sunday was spent watching television together instead of talking. Today, she had left him to sleep away the morning while she went off to work. They usually had lunch together, about two hours from now, but she wasn’t sure if he was going to come or not.
“Awkwardness is usually a symptom of something more,” Angel told her as he observed her, the redhead’s brow furrowed and biting her lip.
“What do you mean?” she wondered.
“With me and Cordy, her…mistake…hurt not because we were just friends, it hurt because—I loved her. When the feelings between the two of you are purely friendship, moving past whatever happened is so much easier. But there are times, when two people are ignoring more intense feelings, these…mistakes…are harder to deal with. When pushed aside, ignored and forgotten, love can hurt.”
“But I don’t love--” she argued but was interrupted by a grinning Angel.
“If this bothers you *this* much, yeah, you do,” he told her with a knowing look. She frowned but didn’t say anything. Sighing she stood.
“Thanks for listening,” she said with a grateful smile. The witch turned to leave but his soft voice halted her steps.
“And Will,” he called out, “you don’t have to have a problem to come talk to me. You and me, we’ve known each other for years, don’t be a stranger.” She grinned widely and waved goodbye. He heard the door shut and he considered her words. He wondered what could have happened where she would come to him for advice. Not Fred, not Spike, not even Wes, but him. He wasn’t complaining, it just surprised him.
Only minutes later, another knock sounded on his door. This one wasn’t the delicate rap that signaled Willow’s arrival, but a loud, sharp pounding on his door.
“Come in,” he responded, groaning when he saw who walked through his door. “Shouldn’t have said that…” he mumbled as his guest dropped into the chair in front of his desk, booted feet moving to prop themselves on the polished wood. “What do you want?”
“I did something stupid.”
“That I can believe,” Angel smirked as he waited patiently.
“Oh ha bloody ha,” sneered Spike as he ran a hand through his shocking blonde hair. “Sod it, I don’t even know why I’m here. I just figured you’re love’s bitch too so you might have a clue as to what I should do.”
“What is it, Spike?” he asked curiously as he looked to the blonde. Spike was a little anxious, that surprised him. When it came to him, Spike was hostile and belligerent, but never jumpy and anxious.
“I—I, oh hell, I kissed Red,” he admitted hurriedly, his blue eyes glancing away from his grandsire’s gaze. Angel’s eyes widened and he shook his head. Well, at least now Willow’s earlier need for advice made sense. He resisted the urge to chuckle at Spike’s obvious discomfort. One thing could be said for Wolfram and Hart, things were never boring.
“And you’re telling me this why?” Spike looked at him like he had grown a second head.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he scoffed. “Where’s the annoying ‘Stay away from sweet little Willow’ speech that you’re just dying to give?”
“Willow is an adult,” Angel replied with a shrug. “You won’t hurt her, I’ve seen the two of you together. You’re good for each other.”
“When did you become so bloody reasonable?” Angel merely rolled his eyes.
“Was there a reason you came to tell me this?” he encouraged with a sigh.
“I just don’t know what to do about Red,” Spike replied. “She thinks it was a mistake and she wants to just forget it ever happened. Bruises a vamp’s ego that does. I told her that was fine, that it was no big deal. But now things are all uncomfortable and I want my friend back, damn it.”
“It wasn’t a mistake though, was it?”
“It wasn’t planned,” confided the blonde. “But nah, it wasn’t a mistake. At least not to me. I could have acted better afterward, but it’s too late for that now.”
“What did you do?” he asked, having an idea of what he did, probably ran out the door like a poof.
“I ran out the door like a poof.” Well, there you go. Angel groaned and had to restrain himself from smacking him upside the head.
“You’re an idiot.”
“You’ve been saying that for centuries,” Spike remarked dryly.
“She likes you, Dumb ass,” he growled. “I know that girl has grown up, but she is still so damn insecure. When you walked out the door, she probably thought you regretted it, that you didn’t want her. Rejection is something Willow is all too familiar with. She trusts you Spike, you’re pretty much her best friend right now, and she’s afraid that you don’t want anything to do with her. She won’t tell you she likes you,” he warned, “that she has feelings for you. But she does. And I’d be willing to bet that until you tell her kissing her wasn’t a mistake, she’s going to be distant and quiet. More than anything, she’s afraid.”
“Afraid of what?” he grimaced.
“Losing you,” Angel said softly. “Decide whether you want her friendship, or more, but do it soon. Wait too long, and you might lose her entirely.”
“Why are you being so calm about this?” the blonde wondered with narrowed eyes.
“Because I know you care for her and if anyone could take care of her, it would be you. Plus I think I’ve finally gone completely insane.” Spike smirked and remained as he was for a moment before nodding his head absently and padding out the door, slamming it behind him for the hell of it. He heard Peaches’ muffled curse and grinned.
He hesitated before heading to the elevator, considering everything his elder told him. Maybe the poof was right. He never thought that could happen.
~~~*~~~
Willow sat at her desk, her gaze occasionally drifting to the clock and back to her desk. It was still relatively early but she was debated whether to have an early lunch, maybe meet up with Fred or Gunn if he wasn’t too busy. There was still a chance Spike would show up, but it was doubtful. Maybe that was for the best.
The redhead heard her door open without a knock and looked up, a tentative smile on her face.
“Hey,” she greeted softly.
“Hello cutie,” grinned a slightly shy Spike. He extended his hand to her as she rose from her seat. “Come on love, let’s get you something to eat. Sound good?”
“Wonderful,” she replied with a faint blush as he winked playfully and took her hand. He showed up, she thought was a thrilled grin. Things would be okay.
~Part: 18~
“So,” drawled Spike as he gazed across the table to his redheaded companion. “Busy morning?” he wondered, merely trying to make conversation to stave off boredom as he watched the witch eat her lunch.
“Nah,” she shrugged, her attention never wavering from her salad and sandwich, she hadn’t realized she was so ravenous. “Just had a talk with Angel, other than that, it was pretty slow.”
“You spoke with Peaches?” he muttered with a considering gleam in his eyes.
“Yeah,” Willow answered absently, taking a big bite of lettuce.
“About?” he prodded hesitantly.
“N-Nothing really,” she stammered, looking up at him abruptly. “What did you do this morning?” she asked, doing her best to change the topic of conversation.
“Slept,” he answered dryly, chuckling lightly at her reprimanding glare. “Had a chat with the poof, then stopped by to see you,” he finished quickly.
“Wait,” she demanded, staring at him curiously. “You’re telling me that you, the Big Bad, had a heart-to-heart with Angel…voluntarily?” she wondered with obvious disbelief.
“Well it wasn’t like that,” he groaned, rolling his eyes at her teasing grin. “It’s not like I was on bended knee confessing my undying love to the poofter, we just had a little talk is all. What of it?” he complained defensively.
“That’s too bad, I always thought you two crazy kids could make it work,” she replied with a smirk of her own. “Honestly, it’s just a surprise. I mean, it’s Angel. And you. You and Angel, not exactly best of buds.” She looked like she was deep in thought, debating some serious matter internally.
“What’s going on in that head of yours Red?”
“Just wonderin’ if hell has frozen over,” she confessed with a grin.
“Oh ha, ha,” he sneered, sitting further back in his chair. “Laugh it up pet, but you’re on thin ice.”
“Sorry,” Willow said, but her tone made it obvious she was not. “So, what did you and Angel chat about? The weather? Current events? Have a rousing debate about the new font they’re using on the company letterhead?”
“I’ll make a deal with you,” Spike offered with a grin. “You tell me what you and Peaches were talking about, and I’ll tell you what we were talking about. Seems like a fair trade, wouldn’t you say?”
“Um, you know what,” she replied uncomfortably, “It’s no big deal. I don’t need to know.”
“That’s what I thought,” he smirked, watching in amusement as she returned to her lunch, concentrating intently on the food before her and ignoring the blonde demon across from her. He crossed his arms over his chest, studying Willow’s movements with a small grin.
He was relieved that the weirdness from earlier was not plaguing them any longer. They were able to sit and talk without nervous silences or blush-tinged stutters. They were back to normal. The only trouble was everything couldn’t possibly go completely back to normal. Even if they chose to never mention that kiss in the penthouse again, it would still be there, in the back of their minds. But if she was content to forget the incident, then he had no choice but to do the same.
Willow finally looked up once more, taking time to take in her surroundings. She and Spike had decided to stay at Wolfram and Hart for lunch, considering her dining partner was rather combustible it seemed safer. They were in one of three restaurants that the law firm boasted. After all, the senior partners wanted only the best accommodations for their top lawyers and clients to wine and dine. They each varied from casual, semi-casual, and extremely formal, that was used mostly for elaborate dinners and social events.
Right now, the blonde and the redhead were leisurely dining, well one of them was dining, in the most casual restaurant, sitting at a small two person table in the center of the floor, only slightly to the left of center. The ambiance was pleasant, the soft murmur of voices and the distant sound of music relaxed the customers. It was nice, enjoyable.
“I---oh, duck!” Willow hissed, dropping her head to the table urgently and signaling for Spike to do the same. The blonde used a nearby menu to cover his face and waited in confusion for the witch to tell him he could stop.
A moment passed without a sound from the redhead but she eventually lifted her head timidly, glancing around the room and with a sigh of relief she told Spike to relax.
“Um, love, what the hell was that about?” He was glancing at her strangely now, occasionally looking around them in an attempt to figure out what had caused such a reaction in Willow.
“Harmony,” she answered with a frown. “She was coming this way. I wasn’t sure if she saw us, luckily she didn’t.”
“Why do you care if the bint saw us?” he grumbled.
“Two reasons. One, she’d just insult me the second she saw me. It’s like a damn hobby,” she muttered contemptuously.
“And?” The redhead looked perplexed so he sighed and clarified. “You said there were two reasons, pet. What’s the second?”
“Oh!” she exclaimed, remembering her train of thought. “Two, after bitching to me, she’d maul you,” she complained. “I mean, could she be more pathetic! You tell her, point blank, you don’t want her, and it’s like it goes right over her head. How dense can she be? And that voice, she’d be all, ‘Oh, there’s my Blondie Bear!’ Makes my stomach turn,” she ranted without seeing the amusement in Spike’s expression as she continued on, arms flailing about to emphasize her annoyance.
“And you just know she’d have her hands all over you,” Willow grimaced at the picture that painted. Harmony pawing at Spike, it made her ill. “I just have one question for you, Spike. What the hell were you thinking, hooking up with Harmony?” she sneered in disgust.
The blonde vampire granted her a sheepish grin and she stopped him when he opened his mouth to reply. “Wait, don’t answer that. I know, you were thinking with the wrong head. Honestly, its things like that which make my faith in the male species plummet.”
“Willow!” he yelped, surprised by her unusual bluntness. His expression turned from one of shock to a teasing leer. “Didn’t know you cared, Red. And what is it to you? After all, you did switch teams on us. If I didn’t know better, I would say you’re jealous.”
“Well then it’s a good thing you do know better,” she replied with a glare. Shifting nervously in her chair, she poked at the remains of her food, sighing.
“I’m not jealous,” she declared, consciously ignoring Spike’s amused grin. “It just irks me, okay? It’s like, I’m standing right there, and she ignores me to hang on you. I know we aren’t together, and you know we aren’t together, but for all she knows we could be shagging,” she argued, glaring at the bleach blonde as he chuckled. “And still, it’s like I’m nothing. I’m not even competition. ‘Oh, it’s just Willow. He wouldn’t want her.’ And I get it, I do. I’m not all obvious and…skanky, like Harmony can be, but it’s like I’m not desirable at all.”
Spike had stopped laughing by now, looking at her with concern, but remaining quiet, knowing she still wanted to talk. She groaned and laid her head with a thud on the table.
“God, this sucks. I feel like I’m back in high school,” she moaned. “Can’t we just stake her and put me out of my misery?” she implored, glancing up pleadingly at Spike who merely smiled in return.
“Sorry, love. I think Paingel would have a fit if you offed his secretary. Bloody Nancy boy,” he explained with a small laugh.
“Yeah, you’re right. And remember this moment fondly because that is the last time you’ll ever hear those words come out of this mouth,” she advised with a grin.
“Ill cherish it forever and ever,” he remarked with a snort. “But seriously Red, next time that chit gives you any trouble, just tell her to sod off. Plus you could always threaten to turn her into a toad.” Shivering at the mention of things of the amphibious variety, Willow smiled gratefully.
“Thanks Spike,” she replied, moving to stand as did the blonde. She walked around the table, leaning up on her tiptoes to place a thankful kiss on his cheek. “You know, sometimes, you can be so…sweet,” she added, waiting for the inevitable outburst. He didn’t disappoint.
“Bloody hell! I am not sweet! Take it back!” he demanded, following the petite redhead out the door as she nodded to the head waiter. She had no need to pay the bill; all her meals were put on Angel’s tab.
“Nope,” she refused as they made their way back to the elevator. “You are sweet. You’re like…one of those Easter bunnies, you know? They have a hard exterior, but on the inside they’re filled with gooey marshmallow-y goodness.” He raised an eyebrow at her comparison, causing her to roll her eyes dramatically. “Face it Blondie, William the Bloody you aren’t any longer.”
“Hey now, I am still William the Bloody,” he growled as they entered the lift. She turned to face him, smiling kindly.
“Fine,” she conceded, putting up her hands in defeat, loving it when he smirked triumphantly. “You are William the Bloody Sweet Vampire,” she teased with a giggle at his outraged face. “Goddess, that makes you sound like some sort of warped superhero,” she chuckled.
“You are so going to pay for that,” he warned with a playful growl, glad to see her so laid back and relaxed.
“Oh, I’m so going to pay for that, am I? Geez Spike, you have definitely spending too much time in L.A. You’re starting to sound like a valley girl, like totally.” Willow couldn’t help but laugh as he eyed her with amazement.
“I think you have officially gone bonkers, pet,” he concluded with a shake of his head before grinning madly. Her arrogant smile faltered when she saw the look he was sending her way.
“I’m not crazy,” she denied with a huff. He only laughed and leered, loving that he was confusing her.
“That’s okay, love,” he whispered conspiratorially in her ear, pulling back to wink at the redhead as the elevator dinged, reaching their floor. “Always had a thing for insane chits.”
~Part: 19~
“We training today?” wondered Spike as he followed the witch to back to her office.
“Maybe,” Willow shrugged; her back to him. “I want to check my messages first; if I’m free then I don’t see why not.” He nodded to himself, closing her door behind them as she strode away from him and to her desk.
Throwing himself into a chair, he examined his chipped nail polish, tapping his foot on the floor to release some energy he never seemed to be rid of. He had been told once by one of his thicker minions that he probably had ADD, so he had staked the little prig. But now that he thought about it, he may have been right. Oh well, he never liked the brat anyway.
“Red…” he whined, bored and sick of waiting for her to get off the damn phone.
“Relax Spike,” she chided with a grin. “I’m afraid training’s a no go today, Blondie. Wes is backed up and needs some assistance, so I’ve got to help him out. I’d ask you if you wanted to come with, but this is research we’re talking about. Not your favorite pastime.”
“Damn straight,” he sighed. “Fine, leave me all by my lonesome,” he complained, hoping that if he whined enough she would forego helping the watcher to spend time with him. He had a teasing smirk on his face as he glanced up at her, a devious look in his eye.
“Oh, I know,” he exclaimed, as if he had a sudden revelation, “maybe I could pay Harm a visit. She’d be very happy to see me, I’d wager.”
“Hey, don’t even joke about that,” she demanded, fixing him with a harsh glare.
“Who says I’m joking?” he remarked. He knew he probably shouldn’t push the issue, considering her fiery hatred of the ditzy blonde, but he couldn’t resist. Besides, she knew he wasn’t serious.
“You better be joking Blondie,” the redhead commented with a frown. He wasn’t serious, she could tell he was just playing with her, but even the idea of him leaving her side to be with Harmony filled her with disgust. But she wasn’t jealous, oh no. She wasn’t the jealous type…nope, not at all.
His smirk turned into a full-fledged grin as he leaned closer to her, eyeing her speculatively as she tried to ignore him by fiddling with her phone.
“Tell me something, Red. Do you get so possessive with all your…friends…or is it just me?” he drawled, biting his lip. Before she could reply, he spoke, reveling in the indignant expression on her pretty face. “Oh don’t get me wrong. I like it, makes me feel all…warm and tingly inside.”
“Hey! I am not possessive. And I don’t care if you’re—tingly,” she huffed, slamming her phone back in its cradle and glaring at him. “Don’t flatter yourself, Spikey. I just can’t stand her. It has absolutely nothing to do with my feelings for you,” she finished adamantly, not even realizing what she had said.
Spike’s eyebrow shot up in mild amusement and curiosity at her statement. This game was getting more interesting by the minute.
“So you admit that you have feelings for me?” he questioned in a low, husky voice. She began to sputter and shake her head and his grin only widened. “Can’t say I blame you pet. I’m one irresistible bloke.”
“I don’t—there are no feelings!” she argued, looking everywhere but at him. “I mean, well, okay, there are friendly feelings, but that’s all. Don’t twist my words. And really, could you have a bigger ego. Irresistible my foot,” she scoffed, gazing at her feet.
Willow moved to step around her desk, coincidently coming closer to Spike who was now leisurely rising from his seat.
“Now, out,” she demanded lightly, her chin held high. He merely smiled and took a step closer to her. He was a hair’s breath away and she hesitantly looked up at his towering form before her eyes darted away. She gnawed on her bottom lip in a nervous move she could never seem to break her habit of. “Come on, Spike,” she said, her voice noticeably softer. “No more teasing, k? I’ve got work to do.”
When he didn’t move immediately, she chanced a glance at his face. His lips were pursed, eyes suddenly serious, dark. It was almost like he was studying her, and she was doing likewise to him. She frowned when she realized the laughing light in his eyes had abruptly vanished and she wondered if she had said something wrong.
“Not teasing…” he murmured, licking his lips as he stared at her. His hand found its way in her hair, how he didn’t know, running through the silky strands effortlessly. “Bloody tired of teasing.”
His husky declaration surprised her and she didn’t know what to make of his intense expression. His hand in her hair was quickly driving her to distraction and she leaned back a little to put some distance between them. It didn’t work very well. “Spike—” the redhead started before she was cut off by his demanding lips.
Her balance faltered and she was suddenly thankful when she felt her desk behind her, keeping her upright. His one hand tightened its grip in her hair, curling his hand into a fist, his hold firm but not painful. The other arm wrapped around her waist as he brought her flush against him, her weak legs depending solely on him as she stood.
Unable to stifle a moan at the feel of him pressed against her, Spike growled in turn and deepened the kiss, not freeing her mouth until he felt her small hands pressed against his chest, pushing gently as her own chest tightened with the desperate need for oxygen.
The blonde didn’t step away from her, instead trailing his lips across her cheek, over her jaw, and down the column of her throat, nibbling gently on her pulse point which was pounding so temptingly. She gasped at the feel of his cool lips on her skin and couldn’t resist dipping her head down to kiss the tiny bit of his neck behind his ear before returning the favor and nibbling on his earlobe.
With a muffled groan, Spike ran his hands over her back, down her ass, and finally gripping the back of her thighs tightly, lifting her and moving them back a couple steps, placing her gently on the surface of her desk. Her denim-clad legs wrapped around his waist, his leather duster separating them. His hands gripped her waist tightly and in the back of his mind he worried he may leave bruises, but he was too distracted to care. Besides, she hadn’t complained, so who was he to bother? Returning his attention to her flushed face, his mouth took possession of her lips once more and she didn’t even hesitate this time, instead kissing him wholeheartedly. Her arm was now propped up behind her so she didn’t fall to the desk and he leaned in further, ready to carelessly shove all her papers and various knickknacks off the surface without a thought---but sadly for him it wasn’t meant to be.
“Oh!”
The voice startled the couple and Willow jumped, abruptly pulling away from Spike and looking over his shoulder, mouth in a surprised ‘O’.
“Uh-h hey, F-Fred,” she stammered, doing her best to smooth down her hair and calm the blush that was spreading like the plague across her face. Spike didn’t have the inclination to look the slight bit embarrassed, instead he was nothing but pissed that they had been interrupted. If it had been anyone but Fred, he’d have their head. Lucky for her he actually liked the brainy chit.
“Um, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” the brunette explained as she shuffled her feet nervously at the doorway, a sheepish smile on her face, looking apologetic.
“You didn’t interrupt anything,” Willow hurried to assure her, which drew an annoyed growl from Spike and a raised eyebrow from Fred as she observed their current position. Willow looked down, following her gaze, and saw her legs still wrapped around his waist. She unhooked them as fast as she could and pushed Spike away a bit so she could hop off the desk and onto the floor.
“I, uh, well…did you need something?” the witch finally managed to ask, doing her best to ignore Spike’s presence and focus only on Fred.
“Wesley wanted to talk to you,” she replied, relieved to be over the awkwardness of a moment ago. “Something about a translation he can’t figure out.” She shrugged and gave the redhead a tiny grin. “I’m not sure. I’m just the messenger girl.”
“T-Thanks,” Willow said with a shaky smile. Fred nodded and glanced at Spike, giving him a bright smile, waving goodbye to the both of them. Willow watched her walk away, feeling a headache coming on. She felt arms circle her waist and stiffened.
“You’re so tense, pet,” Spike murmured in her ear, resting his chin on her shoulder. He placed a cold kiss to the base of her neck and sighed when she turned in his arms and looked up at him apprehensively.
“What are you doing?” she asked tentatively, her voice soft and trembling slightly.
“Holding you,” he answered simply, as if that was all the answer she needed.
“Um, why?” she wondered, his gaze holding her in place.
“Been dying to,” he confided with a rakish grin. She looked a bit shocked, which amazed him. Surely she had to know the effect she had on him. Especially lately, she was all he could think about. He kissed her chastely on the lips and held her to him. The office was filled with silence at his declaration until Willow finally managed to find her voice, her comment simple and filled with surprise and awe.
“Oh.”
~Part: 20~
The former watcher looked up from his desk and grinned at the redhead hovering in his doorway. Waving her inside, he sat back in his chair, his eyes narrowing slightly in curiosity at her somewhat disheveled appearance. Her hair, which earlier that day had laid straight down her back, not a single wave in the red mass, was now tousled; the occasional strand sticking up or outward. Her face was blotchy, cheeks tinged with a rosy color and what was left of her lipstick smeared.
Her movements were slightly jerky as she crossed the room and took a seat in front of his desk, forcing a bright smile onto her distracted face. She had just left Spike in her office, mumbling some excuse for her sudden need to leave, Wesley’s name came up, and she bolted as fast as she could.
It wasn’t that she regretted what happened, but she really wasn’t looking forward to the conversation that was going to follow. Her fast exit seemed oddly appropriate considering Spike did the same the last time they kissed. Running was a recurring theme when it came to the two of them. She wondered if he would push her away again, if the easy friendship they had just returned to would be tarnished once more. There was a chance that wouldn’t happen. He had made no move to stammer some sort of excuse for his actions, nor had he left, in fact, once Fred had left them alone, he had pulled her into his arms again, telling her he had been dying to hold her.
Willow hated times like this, that awkward period where two people were stuck in an almost-relationship, dancing around the real issues between them. She wished she could just fast forward, see where this was headed, whether she and Spike would actually become a couple, of sorts, or whether they put this little episode behind them. Part of her wanted nothing more than to talk this out with the blonde, see where they stood. But there was part of her that was still that fragile, frightened little girl inside her who was so terrified at the thought of possible rejection and wanted nothing more than to never mention what happened between them, in fear of his reaction. In her sweetest dreams he would confess his growing love for and promise to never let her go. But in her darkest nightmares he would push her away, laugh at the very idea that she could have feelings for him, and tell her that he could never want someone like her. Sadly, she had a feeling reality would lean closer to her nightmare than her dream. She may be the most powerful Wicca in the world, but once you saw past the immense power and talent, she was just another twenty-something girl, lost and a little confused, unsure and insecure.
“Are you quite alright?” asked the Englishman, frowning at the faraway look in her eyes. She had been lost in thought, no doubt, and they didn’t seem to be happy ones at that.
“Hmm? Oh, yeah. It’s just a little busy up here, you know,” she replied with a shrug. “So, what was it you needed help with?”
He hesitated a moment, debating silently whether to press the issue or not, but decided against it. If she wanted to talk, she knew she could come to him.
“Do these look at all familiar?” he wondered, sliding an open book her way, turning it to face her. The witch leaned over, brow crinkled in concentration as she stared at the page. There were no words, just drawings, what could easily be mistaken for tribal symbols by anyone unfamiliar with witchcraft.
“They’re wards,” she told him with a frown. “We’re talking heavy protection here. Not your run-of-the-mill protection spell. These would take a lot of concentration and power to perform. Where did you see these?”
“On a wall,” he sighed as she slid the book in her lap and studied the pictures. “In a downtown apartment to be exact.”
“I’m surprised you found the place,” she remarked. “These are for cloaking spells, to protect the user from being found by mystical means. You must have just stumbled on the place…lucky you.”
“Yes, well,” Wesley continued as she finally looked up. “A man we’ve been looking for has been using these…wards to keep us away, to keep us from finding his whereabouts. Is there anyway to bypass them?”
“Sure,” she answered with a confident grin, “nothing I can’t do. But this is some serious mojo, Wes. This guy means business. How bad is he?” she wondered as she leaned forward in her seat.
“Bad,” he grumbled, a dark expression on his face that was still sporting yesterday’s stubble. Apparently the watcher had been working overtime. “He’s out to destroy Angel, and the rest of us for that matter, at all costs. We seem to be at the utmost disadvantage,” he admitted reluctantly. “He is a former employee of Wolfram & Hart, he knows how this place works, what kind of resources we have. I’m afraid the element of surprise is a luxury we do not have in this case.”
“Who is he?” she asked, head cocked to the side as she regarded him.
“Lindsey MacDonald,” he informed her with a tired sigh. “Finding him is our #1 priority right now. That’s why I asked you here. I need your assistance. I want to find out what exactly he is using to hide himself from us, what we need to break the spells, everything.”
“I’ll do my best,” she promised sincerely and he smiled gratefully. “Do mind if I borrow this for awhile?” she asked, looking to the book in her hands.
“Go right ahead,” he replied as she stood. “Do give me a ring when you find something useful. We need to find him soon, before he pulls another stunt.”
She nodded and headed to the door, pausing right before she opened it. Turning back to face him, curiosity overcoming her. “Another stunt? What kind of stunts has he been responsible for?”
“For one,” he replied in all seriousness, “he was the one behind Spike’s return in ghostly form.”
“Oh,” she considered. Well, this Lindsey guy may be enemy #1, but she had to admit she was a little grateful to him, he did bring back Spike and all. But still, he was bad news, Wesley wouldn’t lie about that. And he had to have some pretty serious power in him if he could bring a vampire back from a dusty death and cast wards like those. “I’ll get to work on this right away,” she assured him before she left.
Heading straight for her office, her eyes never strayed from the heavy volume in her hands, pages open to the various designs and symbols. She walked through the door and to her desk, following an easily remembered path, never feeling the weight of the blue eyes that watched her every move. She squinted and moved the book closer, frowning when she failed to recognize the drawing before her.
Dropping the book onto her desk, she sighed heavily and rubbed her forehead. This was going to take a lot of work and eat up a lot of her time. Well, she had made the mistake of admitting that she missed researching like she used to, with the Scoobies. She supposed this is what she got for only remembering the fun parts of those research parties, and not the actual work that had to be done.
“Bout time you got back,” groused Spike from the overstuffed chair in the corner, by her little library. He couldn’t hold back the chuckle that escaped him at her startled squeak at the sound of his voice as she jumped, spinning around to face him, hand over her pounding heart.
“God, don’t *do* that!” she yelped, glaring at him half-heartedly.
“Sorry pet,” he said, his tone telling her he was anything but. He strode lazily toward her, watching as she shuffled nervously in front of him. Her eyes were downcast and he knew she was thinking, she had that tell tale crease in her brow and pursed lips; probably thinking about how to get him out of her office, no doubt.
“What’s up Spike? I’m kind of in the middle of work, can this maybe wait till later?” she asked, looking up at him hopefully as he finally reached her. He smirked down at her, his expression crushing her hope that he would just leave and they could avoid the awkward conversation awaiting them.
“Stop it,” he demanded softly, not harsh at all. Sighing, Spike held her gaze, practically daring her to look anywhere but at him. “This has got to end,” he declared with an amused shake of his head.
“Um, what exactly has to end?” she mumbled, a little confused and a lot nervous. She knew what he was going to say. This, their whole almost relationship, that was going to have to end. It was to be expected really. They were friends, but he had never shown any real interest in her before, why would he start now? He probably hated it, that they kept ending up in these situations where they were kissing. He was trying to be the nice guy though, let her down easy, she had to respect that.
“This…this whole never talking then running away thing,” he told her, tucking a finger under her chin and lifting her head up. She was biting her lip in that oh so delightful way and he fought to keep on track. “It seems like every time we kiss, one of us ends up hightailing it. Bloody pointless, that is. So, I’m gonna get to sodding point,” he took a deep, unnecessary breath, craving a cigarette right now. “You and I, I don’t know what’s going on there, but we…work. We’re good together and you have to admit, we fit.”
Her mouth dropped open in surprise. Considering she was expecting the brush off, she couldn’t mask the astonishment on her face. He chuckled softly, warmly, at the look on her face and placed a light kiss on her slightly parted lips before pulling back.
“What I’m trying to say is that I like you, Red,” he murmured, unable to shake the small bout of nervousness that had overcome him. “A lot more than I thought I could ever like anyone. And I think…I think that I…I could love you.”
His stammered admission amazed her. Here was Spike, gorgeous, confident Spike and he was currently fidgeting anxiously, unable to look her in the eye. She almost smiled. For all his ego and smart aleck remarks, he was really a rather sensitive and caring person; although he would threaten torture and possibly death on anyone who said that. When he glanced at her, blue eyes stormy and concerned, she realized she hadn’t said anything. His rather fragile self-esteem in regards to his love life was probably taking a nose dive right then and she almost smacked herself for not reassuring him immediately that his declaration was a welcome one.
“I…” Willow whispered, taking his hand in her own, holding them both close to her chest. “I think I could love you, too.”
The beaming smile he granted her made the heaviness in her heart disappear and she leaned up, kissing him chastely, tentatively. His free hand wove through her hair to keep her in place as he leisurely explored her mouth, unwilling to let her go.
The pressure of her hand on his chest reminded him that she needed air and he finally pulled back moments later, wrapping her tightly in his arms and kissing the top of her head. Her disappointed sigh gave him pause and he leaned back to look at her.
“I totally don’t want to spoil the moment or anything but,” she grumbled, waving a hand to her desk and the new book that sat on it.
“Work,” he acknowledged with a frown. “It’s that important?”
“Unfortunately,” she grimaced as he released her from his embrace. She retrieved the book of magical symbols and held it out for him to take a look at.
“Ah,” he nodded with a smirk. “So the watcher put you on Lindsey duty, eh?”
“Yeah, I’m supposed to find a spell to bypass all the protection wards our friend here has around him. And sadly, that requires a butt load of research,” she whined.
“But weren’t you Sunnydale’s resident research queen? You can do this, love,” he replied with a proud, confident grin. “Come on,” he decided, taking her hand in a firm grip and leading her to the couch.
“But, I’ve got to work,” she complained when he pushed her to sit on the couch and he fell onto the cushions beside her.
“I know,” he said, moving to sit closer to her until they were touching arm to arm. He rested one arm around her shoulders and placed Wesley’s book on his lap so they could both look at it. He looked at her, seeing the confused expression on her pretty face, and grinned. “I’m gonna help.”