Pairing: W/S
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: Joss owns everything BtVS and AtS. The fic title is from the song "How You Remind Me" by Nickelback.
Summary: Sequel to "How You Remind Me". Various spoilers for the current season.
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Willow rolled over, the soft, warm flesh of her arm encountering something hard and cool almost immediately. She opened her eyes, smiling sleepily. 'He sure is handsome when he's all.quiet-like.' Her arms came up as she stretched, enjoying the soft aches in her muscles. These were the aches borne of hours of pleasure, not those of fighting. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she brought the stretch to an end, slipping off the edge of her bed with barely a whisper of sound. Again she stopped to admire his body, what little of it she could see around the white sheet covering him, anyway. He looked dead. Which was only right, since he technically was - but it was harder to keep that in mind when he was awake - not so when he was sleeping so soundly. No breaths marked the rise and fall of his chest and he didn't snore.
'Total plus there.' She looked around her room, grabbing randomly from an open dresser drawer. She slipped on a pair of faded gray sweats, completing the lounging look with a slightly wrinkled t-shirt from the same drawer. They had ended up in her parents' home, in her old room, shortly after dark. While cozy in its own way, Willow just hadn't found the idea of spending the night in Spike's crypt to be a pleasant one. Especially when her bed was so much more comfortable than a stone coffin. From the time they had walked through the door until the time they had fallen asleep all the pair had done was make love. Being with him was unlike anything she had ever experienced with Tara or Oz. It was primal, passionate, and filled with higher emotions and desires that she couldn't quite describe. She knew he felt the same way - could tell by the way he touched her, looked at her. 'Not that he wouldn't mind hurting me a little, either,' She grinned, strolling out of her room and in the general direction of the stairs. As she made her way slowly towards the kitchen she mused on events in general over the past twenty-four hours.
First she had shown up at Spike's crypt, convincing him to do a spell that would allow both of them access to the true events of their lives - the ones that had actually occurred and weren't a part of what the monk's made up when they sent Dawn to Buffy. It had been a truly eye opening event - especially for the bleached blond now sleeping so peacefully upstairs in her room. He had learned that his love for Buffy was false - an invention to make him more ready to help protect Dawn. It had never been real. He had, in fact, remembered someone that he truly had feelings for - Willow.
The red head blushed, that moment playing through her head like a movie. She could feel the surprise, the joy, the shock, all as if it was happening again. It was a wonderful feeling, though she questioned whether or not it was love. It was certainly close - something that could quickly become love. She heard the phone ring and set down the orange juice she had pulled from the fridge, answering it by the third ring. "Hello?"
"Wills? You coming back to the house this morning?" Buffy's voice was whiny and the red head wondered what could have her sounding so pathetic so early in the day. She had called the blonde out of courtesy the night before to let her know not to wait up - that she would be staying at her parents' house for the night to just 'think about some things'. The young witch had been very careful to avoid mentioning Spike at all. The last thing she had wanted was for Buffy to interrupt her night of passion.
"Dunno, Buff. I'm sort of enjoying the peace and quiet. I might be back late today. We'll see." She shrugged even though her friend wasn't around to see it, feeling more than a little annoyed that the blonde had called just to see when she'd be coming home. What business was it of hers? 'That's just Buffy, though. Always sticking her nose where it doesn't belong.' She listened to the other girl ramble on for another moment or two, rolling her eyes and making the appropriate agreement and disagreement noises. "Sure, Buff, I'll be there tonight for a research party." She sighed, anxious to get off the phone, back to her juice and then back in bed with Spike. "Ok.Ok.Fine.See you then."
"Who was that, pet?"
Willow jumped the second the cool arms wrapped around her waste, his voice sending shivers up her spine. She turned to give him a smile. "Just Buffy playing the role of 'my mother'." She scrunched her face up in distaste. "Doesn't she have enough things to worry about without trying to play mother to me as well? If I want to stay here overnight I will. She's not my keeper." Her face began to grow red, her ire coming out. Who did Buffy think she was anyway? She certainly couldn't keep her own life on track - why should she try to run other people's lives as well?
"That's just the way the Slayer is, luv." He grinned, kissing her lightly on the flesh of her neck. "Look at how she reacted about your whole magick situation - forbidding you to practice and all that." He snorted, remembering the events of the day before - the ones that had led them to a night of passionate sex. "Like that stopped you, though."
"If they knew about me still using magick they would stop speaking to me - at the very least." Her face was completely serious as she looked at him. "I guess I'm not goi ng to be able to hide it, though, am I? It's going to be pretty obvious that I did a spell when we walk in, hand in hand. Unless you don't *want* the others to know about us."
"Of course I want them to know about us. I've had enough of hiding my feelings, what with trailing after the Slayer like a love-sick puppy." He snorted. "That's how everyone around her ends up acting. Like a puppy. You, Xander, now me? We follow her around, listening to whatever she decrees as though she's the Queen Mum. When did the entire bloody Earth start to revolve around the Slayer?"
Willow's eyes grew dark. "What do you mean - me and Xander are puppies?"
"Just that the two of you follow her every wish and command. Take yourself for instance. Her royal bitchiness tells you to quit using your little magick and all of a sudden you're bending over backwards to please her."
"Well.to be fair that's partially my fault. I -did- almost get Dawn killed, remember?" She pushed away from him, picking up her glass of juice and sipping at the now lukewarm contents.
"Yeah? Big deal. You had a bad day. Everyone has problems."
"Except for Buffy?" Willow smirked, finishing her juice and placing the glass in the sink. She kept her back to him, thinking on what he had said. While it was true that she hadn't been very popular before Buffy came to town - she certainly had been more independent. And slowly, over the years, that independence had faded until she was nothing more than a lackey. Did Buffy really think she was the center of the universe? "I dunno, Spike. You may be right." She shrugged and then shivered, feeling him move behind her, lifting up her shirt until she could feel the smooth skin of his taut stomach on her back.
"Well ducks.you don't have to go be her puppy for a little while at least. What say you an' me go back upstairs?"
~*~*~
'Just breathe.' Willow told herself, slightly dreading what was to come. Spike had made it very clear that he wouldn't be hiding their relationship from anyone. He was proud to be with her. She was powerful and, being a witch, she wasn't completely human. In many ways she was 'acceptable' for him to be with in vampire society. Except for the fact that she was the Slayer's friend. 'Though I might not be that much longer. Not after I walk in there and make it oh so obvious that Spike is my.boyfriend?' The word seemed too light for what they had shared. He was definitely more than her boyfriend. Lover was more like it. Did she really care what Buffy thought though? Or what Xander did? They had both made their own mistakes and dated whomever they wanted. Wasn't it her turn?
Earlier that day, as they waited for the sun to set, Spike had told her about his past, the things he had done. When she had cringed he had given her the only lecture she had ever heard from him - and one she was not likely to forget. 'Don't ever deceive yourself to think I'm not a monster, pet.' He had began, holding her chin firmly in his hand so that she couldn't look away. 'I am a vampire. If I didn't have this chip in my head I would kill people and I would bloody well enjoy it. Don't forget that.'
She had nodded, but had taken the words to heart. Being with him was a conflict of interest but she didn't care. He had to do what he had to do to survive. He was the same as any animal or creature. She understood how powerful a driving force instinct could be. How could she fault him for surviving or for being true to his nature?
'That's as silly as telling a witch she can't use her powers.' She smirked, pleased with the bitchiness she was feeling. She was tired of being sorry for what she'd done. How long did her friends really expect her to repent for her 'sins'? It had been a mistake - and one she never intended to make again. Her smirk faded as Spike turned the handle to Buffy's house, entering and pulling her along behind him.
"Hullo, Scoobies. We're here for the research. Well, Red is anyway. I'm just here for her. Delicious little thing that she is and all." He laughed inwardly at the shocked looks on everyone's faces as he took the only unoccupied seat in the room and pulled the red head into his lap. He could feel Buffy's eyes boring a hole in his skull and smiled outright.
"Spike!" Willow blushed furiously. She hadn't known he was going to just jump right into letting everyone know about them. Her gaze flickered across her friends' faces, feeling more than a little pleased that they had managed to cause the dumbfounded looks found there. 'Maybe Spike had the right idea after all - shock them all into silence.'
"Um.did I miss something?" Xander asked finally, his voice soft. "Since when are you and Junior an item?"
"Since last night."
"Last night?" Buffy's face fell and Willow could almost hear the gears clicking away in her little brain. Spike had told her that he had been supposed to meet Buffy the night before. It had, in part, explained why the blonde had been so out of it on the phone that morning. "But." She shook her head, her gaze distant, eyes wet.
"But what, Buffy?" Willow asked, the picture of innocence, as she secretly laughed at the shock on the Slayer's face. Spike's words to her that morning had really hit home as she had laid in his arms. No longer would she be Buffy's puppy. Friend - yes. Slave? No. Never again.
"Wills." Xander asked, his face showing hurt. "How could you sleep with him? I mean.he's dead."
"Oh please, Xander. Up until recently you were dating a former vengeance 'demon'. Let me emphasize that to you one more time - 'demon'. Don't give me that look because I'm dating a vampire." The red head rolled her eyes, not surprised at her friend's hypocrisy. She had expected no less from him.
Though it still hurt.
"He'll get over it, pet." Spike murmured into her ear, kissing her neck. This was, apparently, too much for Xander and he got up, slamming the door behind him as he left the house.
"Spike. I thought. You said." Buffy continued on, her eyes glassy with her own pain. If she noticed that Willow was still there she gave no sign of it, instead speaking to Spike as though he were the only one in the room with her.
"What?" Spike asked, raising his eyebrows. "You thought that I loved you?" He snorted and placed another kiss on Willow's neck, his eyes never leaving Buffy's. "Funny thing about that, luv. Red here showed me this little spell that showed me anything that was out of whack with the world - things that were one way before those bloody monks put Dawn into your life and are now another. Seems me loving you was one of those things. They did it just to give the Key another protector."
"Wh-What?" Buffy's eyes filled with tears and now she noticed Willow. "You did this? You turned him against me?"
"Huh? Turned him against you?" The witch chuckled softly. "From what I hear you were never very pro-Spike anyway, Buff. I mean - you certainly never cared enough about him to tell your 'friends' about the two of you. All I did was show him the way things *were*. He made up his mind about the rest."
The Slayer's eyes narrowed as she chose to replace sadness with anger. "And what about you saying you were never going to do another spell? I thought we had a deal."
"No." Willow tilted her head to the side and gave Buffy a hard look, all the while trying to keep her own emotions under control. "*We* never had a deal. You and Xander and everyone decided *for* me. Like I was a child that couldn't make my own decisions. I never agreed to give up magick - you forced that on me."
Buffy shook her head. "Whatever. Unless you're magick free you're not welcome in this house." She stood then, gesturing to the front door. "Get out."
The red head felt Spike's hand squeeze hers in reassurance, something deep within her snapping. After everything she had done for Buffy it would end like this? The uptight little bitch throwing her out of the house and out of her life? After years of hard work and sacrifice? Just because she had used the powers her Goddess had given her? "Fine." Willow's eyes flashed from green to red momentarily before settling down again, giving Buffy a brief reminder of the power she wielded.
With her free hand Willow gestured, casting a spell she made up on the spot. It was minor magick, really. A box appeared in her hands, a few others transported automatically to her parents' house as, with a thought alone, she packed all of her things in the room upstairs. She stood, the small box of her possessions in her hand and a cruel smile on her face. "Remember one day, when you see me again. That you pushed things this far. You couldn't handle what I was. Couldn't forgive me my mistakes like I forgave you all of yours."
The red head didn't wait for an answer. She grabbed Spike's hand and led him out of the house, saying her own silent farewells to the friendship she had shared with the blonde still inside of it. "I wanna get away from here, Spike." She whispered, knowing that it was the truth.
"Aw, pet. I'm sure Bitchy will get over herself in a few days and the two of you will make up and be happy little friends again." He rolled his eyes, making it clear that the idea itself disgusted him.
Willow snorted. "No, Spike. This isn't some story where I'm going to sit around waiting for her to call me up and apologize. She drew a line in the sand and I crossed it. I was sort of sick of her bossy attitude anyway. There's nothing to hold me here anymore, anyway and Buffy is sure to cause trouble if we stay."
"Okay." Spike drawled, leading her back down the sidewalk and towards her parents' house. "So. you want to get away. Where? We would need money, you know."
She shrugged. "Somewhere back east? Somewhere far from here? Where I can live a life in sin with you, making love all day long. Practicing my magick if I feel like it. As far as money goes.I have that in plentitude. Only good thing dear old mom and dad ever did for me was set up those trust funds."
"Really?" Spike grinned, pulling her into his arms. "Well, then, pet. Let's go cause some trouble over there on the east coast, then. Or.as much trouble as I can with this bloody chip in my head."
Willow grinned to herself as she leaned into his embrace, knowing that getting rid of the chip would be the first bit of trouble she personally caused.
read the sequal 'Not Like You'