1 Happy Birthday Buffy

1.1 Author: Weeza

Email: Weeza410@hotmail.com

Disclaimer: All characters belong to this genius that is Joss Whedon. Thank you Joss for making such an amazing show for us to watch.

Summary: It's Buffy's 21st birthday and her feelings for Spike are growing stronger.

They share a dance, which was inspired by listening to the song "Kissing You" by Des'ree from the Romeo and Juliet soundtrack. To give the story more feeling throw your favorite love song in while you read. Please Read and Review. I'd appreciate any feedback. Thanks.

Buffy and the gang were at the Bronze to celebrate her 21st birthday. She was laughing and having a good time. She felt normal for the first time in a long time but she still felt as if something was missing. She wanted to ask the question that she so desperately wanted to know but was afraid that everyone in the room would see right through her. She leaned over toward Dawn.

BUFFY: Is anyone else expected to show up or is everyone here?

DAWN: What?

Dawn could only half hear her sister over the loud music.

BUFFY: Was anyone else invited that maybe hasn't shown up yet?

DAWN: No. I think everyone is here.

BUFFY: Oh.

Buffy looked down with a bit of disappointment

DAWN: No wait. Spikes not here yet.

BUFFY: Oh!

This time her face lit up and her mood was obviously altered. She hoped that Dawn didn't notice.

Dawn's face showed a giant grin as she looked at Buffy. It was obvious that Dawn did in fact notice her happiness at the thought of seeing Spike. Her friends were still clueless to the events that took place between her and Spike but her sister wasn't dumb. She saw it coming for a long time, although she was the only one that ever suspected that anything was going on between them.

Buffy suddenly spotted Spike as he walked through the door. He stood there with his red button down shirt, which lay open to expose his plain black T- shirt. She watched him as he began to search for something. He was searching for her.

Buffy wanted to scream out to him but didn't want her friends to see her that excited just because he was around. She couldn't believe the blissful sense of calm that washed over her every time Spike walked into the room.

Willow and Xander came back to the table after a dance to one of Willow's favorite songs. Willow noticed that Buffy was staring out in the distance. She tried to follow her gaze to see what had her so mesmerized. Her glare traveled over the door where Spike stood feverishly looking for the rest of the party.

WILLOW: Hey Spike! Over here!

Spike finally eyed the party guests and started walking over.

XANDER: Why is he here?

DAWN: Because he's our friend.

Xander flashed Dawn a questioning glare.

DAWN: Ok. He's my friend....and Buffy's.

Spike reaches the gang but his eyes remain on Buffy only.

SPIKE: Happy Birthday luv.

BUFFY: Thanks Spike.

Buffy's face is relaxed and content as she glares lovingly into Spike's eyes. Buffy gets nervous because she feels like her every emotion is showing up too easily on her face. She feels vulnerable and thinks everyone could read every private thought she was having.

She was more afraid of Spike accurately reading her expression than anyone else. She has been starting to feel so strongly for him lately but wasn't ready for him to know. She was still trying to deny it to herself and wasn't sure if sharing her feelings with him was such a good idea. She was afraid that the minute she shared her feelings that he would leave her like everyone else. She had hoped that he was different but how could she be sure?

The scooby gang stared at the obvious affection growing between them. The whole gang glared at each other as if they had realized it at the exact same time.

Spike and Buffy continued to stare lovingly into each other's eyes. Spike could feel the bliss of happiness form in his gut whenever Buffy looked at him. He could tell how fond of him she was becoming. It meant so much to him that she thought of him as a man. A good man, and not the monster that he thought he was supposed to become after his transformation into a vampire. He finally realized after all these years that the feeling of love was way more powerful than power itself. The look of love was greater than the look of fear in his victim's eyes. He wouldn't trade that for anything in the world.

An intimately slow song started playing and Spike's only wish was that Buffy would agree to dance to it with him.

SPIKE: You wanna dance with me slayer?

He extended his hand out to her.

XANDER: Um.Isn't this song a bit...romantic for the likes of a slayer and a neutered vampire?

Buffy looked at Spike and gave him a half smile. Then she looked over at Xander.

BUFFY: No.It's ok.

She looks back at Spike

BUFFY: I'm kind of in the mood for a dance.

She took his hand and they made their way to the dance floor while the scoobies looked at each other with confusion.

They started out dancing slow but keeping a distance from each other for the benefit of the scoobies.

As they got deeper into the music, the space between them diminished and they were suddenly dancing closer than they realized.

Their eyes met and their faces were dangerously close to one another. She so badly wanted to kiss him but she resisted. She knew they had an audience.

She rested her head against his chest to resist the temptation she felt every time she looked into his eyes.

As the music further consumed her, she slipped her hand underneath his open red shirt and glided it horizontally around his waist. Her other arm traveled vertically up his back until they were in a comfortable embrace.

His strong arms held her tightly against him, never wanting to let go. They danced so slowly that they were almost completely still. It appeared as if they just stood there in the middle of the dance floor, hugging lovingly.

Her tenderness surprised him and he drowned in the feeling of her arms so gently around him. His biggest fear at that moment was the end of the song because he knew that he would be forced to let her go.

He leaned into her, resting his head on her shoulder. He gently kissed her neck when he was sure that they were at an angle where the rest of the gang wouldn't notice. As he kissed her neck she brought a hand up and stroked the back of his head.

Meanwhile, the scoobies watched open-mouthed from a distance. They were concerned about their closeness and wondered what brought on this change. Buffy had never let him get this close to her before. What was going on?

Dawn just stood there and smiled. She was the only one who was touched by their embrace. She thought it was sweet, while everyone else was disturbed by it.

The music continued and Buffy and Spike gladly kept holding each other. She knew their song was coming to an end so she pulled away a little. Once again, she looked up into his beautiful blue eyes.

All of her doubts disappeared and she suddenly didn't care about where she was and who was watching. She lifted her head up toward his and their lips met. They kissed sweetly and her hands were caressing the sides of his face. It reminded her of the kiss they shared a couple weeks ago under the stairs. They were filled with tenderness and passion. Buffy ended the kiss when she realized that their song had ended about thirty seconds ago.

She refused to look at her friends. She didn't want to deal with the look of disapproval that she was sure to see on their shocked faces.

Still on the dance floor, Spike reached into his pocket and pulled out a gift for Buffy. It was wrapped in glittery silver paper with a silver velvet bow on top.

BUFFY: Spike, It's beautiful. Did you wrap it yourself?

SPIKE: Are you kidding? What do you think that I'm some kind of Nancy-boy that would.....Well, yes I did.

Spike looked down at his black boots in embarrassment.

BUFFY: It's so beautiful that I would hate to ruin it by unwrapping it.

Spike looked at her with a boyish grin. She's never seen him look so uncomfortably shy and unsure of himself before but she found it refreshing.

SPIKE: Well that's good because I don't want you to unwrap it yet. I'm gonna take off. I don't think your friends really want me here and I'd prefer if you opened your gift after I've gone.

BUFFY: All right. I wish you'd stay but I guess I understand.

SPIKE: Thanks luv. Happy Birthday Buffy.

He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. He brushed his lips against her ear and whispered.

SPIKE: I love you Buffy.

He quickly turned and walked away, leaving her standing there with all these emotions that she couldn't explain. She's had such a hard time feeling lately that she wasn't sure of anything anymore. She was even having a hard time remembering what love felt like.

She dreaded the return to her friends but she knew it had to be done. She made her way to the table where her friends were looking at her as if they didn't even know her.

XANDER: Uh..Buffy. Would you mind tell us what that...

Dawn chimed in to purposely interrupt.

DAWN: Oooh..a present. Did Spike give you a present?

BUFFY: Yeah but he didn't want me to open it until he was gone.

XANDER: That's a bad sign. Maybe we should travel to an open field in case in explodes.

BUFFY: Xander that's enough!

She was frustrated and didn't want to deal with the insults on her birthday of all days.

Xander was surprised at her outburst and wasn't quite sure how to react to her. He decided to keep his mouth shut.

She carefully started to open the beautifully wrapped package and underneath was a blue velvet box. She opened the box to find a silver necklace with a heart pendent hanging from it. There were little white stones around the inner edge of the heart. As she looked closer she noticed that it was a locket. Before she opened the heart she found a small card underneath that said..

Buffy,

This is so you have the most important people

in the world to you close to your heart.

Love,

Spike



She opened the locket to find a picture of her sister Dawn on one side and a beautiful picture of her mother on the other.

Buffy covered her mouth with her hand and tears started to form in her eyes. She tried to contain them but she couldn't as the tears started to roll down her cheek.

The others gathered around her to see what the commotion was and they saw the beautiful necklace and photos that seemed to touch each and every one of them in their own way.

WILLOW: It really is beautiful Buff.

XANDER: Wow. That was actually a really thoughtful gift. Dear Lord, did I really just call Spike thoughtful? I'm gonna have to get my head examined.

Buffy laughed then looked over at Dawn who also had tears streaming down her face. She grabbed Dawn and gave her a huge hug.

DAWN: Buffy that was so sweet. You should really go and thank him.

Buffy realized that she had to go to him right away. She wanted to be near him so badly that she could hardly stand it. She hoped her friends would understand.

BUFFY: I think I will. I hope you guys don't mind.

WILLOW: Not at all. Go ahead Buffy. You should thank him.

XANDER: Ahh..Go ahead get out of here... I hate to admit it but it really was nice of him. We'll just catch you later.

BUFFY: Thanks guys..for understanding.

She was stunned by the reaction of her friends. She thought she would have to explain the dance and that kiss to them, making excuses until she was blue in the face but she underestimated them. They really did understand after all.

She quickly ran out of the Bronze with her gift in her hand and headed out to Spike's crypt.



She got to his crypt and stood outside the door suddenly unsure of what she was going to say. She pushed open the door and didn't see him right away so she climbed down the stairs hoping that he would be there.

She saw him sitting on the corner of his bed watching television. He looked up at her and immediately stood up and started walking toward her.

She held the necklace up toward him.



BUFFY: Spike, it's so beautiful! Thank you! It really means a lot to me.

SPIKE: I'm glad you like it pet. Let me help you put it on.

He took the necklace and fastened it around her neck. She turned around to look at him. He looked into her eyes.

SPIKE: Beautiful. You are so beautiful.

She melted into his arms and met his lips in a very sensual kiss. They fell back onto the bed and started gently caressing each other. Buffy stopped and gently pushed him away.

BUFFY: Wait...Stop.

SPIKE: What's wrong luv?

Spike looked at her with concern and a little bit of fear of what she was about to say. When it came to Buffy, he never knew what to expect.

BUFFY: This necklace is the nicest gift that anyone has ever given me. Seeing the pictures of my sister and my mother finally made me remember what love was and how it felt to love and how it felt to be loved. I was so afraid that I was losing the ability to feel any kind of emotion but because of you, I'm finally starting to feel normal again. Thank you Spike.

SPIKE: Buffy, I don't know what to say..I'm just glad that I could help you feel like your old self again.

She looked into his eyes and held his hand.

BUFFY: I love you Spike...So much.

Spike looked at her. He was speechless. He heard the words that he has been longing to hear for so long. He leaned over and gently kissed her lips.

SPIKE: I love you too Buffy...more than you'll ever know.

Once again, they started to kiss. They made love until they were weary from exhaustion. He put his arm around her and she lay there staring at him as he slept. She was delighted that she got a reminder of what it was like to feel love and she truly loved him. She was finally happy.

THE END