--Day Thirty--
"Come now Elizabeth, are you and your delightful
husband not planing to grace the floor with your presence?"
Buffy smiled at the elderly gentlemen and was about to
answer when his wife, Virginia - *bloody stupid name* - who looked not much
older than herself, sauntered up to him. She was wearing a dress that was so
plastered on, that even by today's standards it was verging on indecent.
"I love to dance." She stated, sending an
obviously flirtatious smile to Spike.
Buffy scowled when she saw Spike return it. *Stupid hormone
filled vampire.*
"I know my dear, " Mr. Carting, patted her hand
in sympathy, "I'm afraid however, that I'm a little past the dancing
age." He smiled gently at Buffy who forced her lips to turn up into a
smile she certainly didn't feel.
"Perhaps Mr. Dartmoore could appease me." The
voluptuous woman suggested, licking her rouged lips very, very slowly, as she
continued to stare hotly into Spike's eyes.
Spike didn't have to look at the slayer to feel the
jealousy radiating off her in waves. He smirked at the thought of the slayer
being so possessive!
"Gladly." He smiled at her, taking the hand the
woman's husband gave him, and lead her to the dance floor.
Buffy silently fumed as she watched Spike wrap his arms
around another woman. *Some other mans wife!*
"Your husband is an excellent dancer, Elizabeth."
Carting remarked.
"Yes." Buffy replied tightly, not taking her
furious eyes from the couple on the dance floor. She could have swore she
inadvertently growled when the woman ran her fingers down Spike's jacket,
stroking their way from his body as the song ended.
"I was happy to find that your health has im-" He
was cut off by his wife's presence.
"I feel a trifle...hot." The still unknown woman
stated as they returned to a very pissed off slayer and stupidly happy man.
"Maybe you should go....you know, get some fresh
air." Buffy stated, loosing her fake Old- English accent.
"Maybe Mr. Dartmoore could accompany me...we were
having the most interesting.... conversation." She ended, letting Buffy
know that they weren't talking.
Her husband seemed oblivious, "An excellent idea, my
dear."
"Um..." Spike suddenly felt trapped. He looked to
Buffy for help, but she just sent him a scowl. He'd only danced with the woman
to see whether the jealousy he'd noted at dinner had been real or a figment of
his imagination. "I...uh, yes!" He elated as he found an excuse.
"I promised Buf-uh, Elizabeth that I would show her the Billiard Room -
she
has been anxious to learn how to play."
"Really?" Virginia questioned, haughtily looking
down her nose at the prettier woman, "What a masculine sport to wish to
delve into."
"Always preferred a game with a bit more...bite."
Buffy stated, glaring at the woman.
Spike was hard pressed not to laugh, "If you'll excuse
us."
"Of course." Mr. Carting agreed amiably, smiling
at them both.
"Enjoy your evening." Spike completed, taking
Buffy's arm and leading her out of the room.
As soon as they were out into the quiet hallway Buffy
pulled away from him; violently stomping ahead in the direction of the Billiard
Room, which their host had provided for them.
"Buffy, love..." Spike tried not to laugh, but it
escaped his mouth as he spoke, "...wait up, pet!"
"Stupid, arrogant, egotistical, hormone-driven, pig of
a vampire." Buffy muttered as she slammed open the door to the pool room,
Spike quick on her heels.
Spike watched silently as she arranged the pool table with
angry, jerky movements.
"Shall I break?" Spike asked, his voice as
inoffensive as he could make it, in deference to the obviously wildly pissed
off slayer.
He cringed as she sent the white ball spinning down the
table at his words. It smashed into the other balls, sending them all flying in
odd directions, but none entered a pocket.
"Do you want to play snooker or pool?" Spike
asked, wisely not stating a preference as he knew she would only choose the
other just to spite him.
Again she didn't respond, but she lined up another ball and
took the shot.
It bounced off the sides and zig-zag-ed down the table, neatly
avoiding each of the pockets.
"Hey! You didn't hit one in the first time so that was
my go!" Spike whined, glaring at her. The good mood that had been
contrived from her jealously quickly dissipated at her lack of deference to the
wonder that was pool (which he'd decided she was attempting to play as she was
only aiming for all the colors except red).
"I'm the slayer, I make the rules." Buffy stated,
moving to line up another shot.
"No you don't!" Spike growled, darting around the
table, trying to grab her cue.
Buffy jumped out of his reach, running around to the other
side of the table, ""Why don't you go back to your ho out there, and
let me finish my game in peace?!"
Spike's anger left as soon as it had arrived,
"Jealous, love?"
"What?" Buffy screeched, her eyes blazing.
"I said, are you jealous?" Spike asked slowly,
punctuating each penetrating word with a step closer to the shocked slayer.
"Jealous? Of What? You and Miss. Ho Of The Century?"
"You're jealous..." Spike sang, grinning at her.
"I. Am. Not. Jealous." Buffy stated, glaring at
him.
"Then why are you trying to bust all the balls?"
Spike inquired.
"I'll bust your balls." Buffy muttered to
herself.
"Pardon, love?" Spike asked, laughing as she
blushed an attractive beet red.
"Oh, whatever. You said you'd teach me so teach
me." Buffy, finally snapped out of her jealous anger, for the first time
noticing how close he was. He'd somehow lost his pool cue and had managed to
get all the way round the table.
She watched as he stepped closer to her, flattening her
body against the side of the table without even touching her.
Buffy knew she was breathing hard, she couldn't stop, but
she knew she really should. How wrong was this? He'd moved his arms to either
side of her body, trapping her there.
"What would you like me to teach you, pet?" Spike
was, gazing hotly down at her. His eyes darting between her wide owl-like eyes
and her rouged pouting lips.
*Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god..." The litany
repeated through her head as she searched for something witty to say.
Unfortunately, all she could think about was the hard male body that was slowly
pressing into her.
His voice got even huskier, if that was at all possible, as
he repeated his question, their lips almost touching, "Would you like me
to teach you?"
It was a different question altogether, with
life-shattering consequences and they both knew it, but they were helpless to
do anything about it.
Buffy's previously tight grip on her pool cue broke, and
the wood tumbled to the ground. The noise was enough to break her from her stupor,
and just before his lips touched hers she spoke, "Pool."
"Wha'?" Spike's addled brain attempted to catch
up with the conversation. *Had they been talking?*
"Pool." Buffy reasserted, her voice stronger.
Spike stood back a step as she stood up straight. "Teach me how to play
pool."
"Um..." He cleared his throat as he tried to
adjust his painful erection. "...Okay, pet."
Flushed and still breathing hard Buffy nodded and retrieved
her cue, as Spike moved to put some distance between them.
---
"Well..." Oz clarified, "I found the demon
from a couple of days ago - you know the one that tried to burn, Xander
alive?"
There were a few moments of silence.
Buffy stared at the werewolf, she'd never heard him talk
that much in one go.
Spike sighed and reached for a cigarette - it was gonna be
a long night, but, eh, at least Xander almost got fried.
Xander paled at the reminder, and Cordy rolled her eyes -
they were all so lame.
Willow smiled encouraginly at her boyfriend as he passed
her the book, which she gave to Giles.
"Well, that’s good right?" Willow asked.
"Uh, yes.... excellent." Giles agreed, put out
that they hadn't found the demon that
had messed with his slayer.
"Xander nearly got fired?" Buffy asked from her
position on Spike's lap. The vampire barely looked up as he continued to play
with her hair, absently twirling the long, blonde strands around his pale
fingers.
"Yeah, Buffy, you so should have been there. It was
all like 'Grrr' and I was all like-"
Cordy cut of Xander's explanation, "'Ahhh' He screamed
like a girl." She stated to Buffy then looked to Giles, "So what,
blondie over there takes out the red demon while we keep researching?"
"Uh, actually...yes." Giles agreed and the whole
room stared at Cordelia in shock.
"What? I can plan."
"Yeah, plan your way to the salon."
"At least I go to one. Who hacks your hair - a blind
woodsman?
"So, how do I kill the demon?" Buffy asked, the
group ignoring the still bickering couple.
"Uh..." Giles quickly scanned the page, "It
would appear that you have to tear off its two horns simultaneously." He
looked over to the silent guitarist. "Thank-you Oz, this is really quite helpful,
I'd forgotten I had this text."
Willow beamed at her boyfriend.
"Wow, the Giles-meister missed a book, what are the
chances?" Xander asked, pausing long enough in his 'conversation' with the
cheerleader to make a contribution to the group talk before returning to his
argument.
Giles glared at the back of Xander's head, then moved his
eyes to Buffy as she spoke, "Any idea where we find it?"
"It nearly flambayed Xander down near that Angel
statue." Willow said.
"Oooh, you mean that creepy one whose eyes follow
you?"
Willow nodded, "Ugh!"
"Right, come on, love. Demons a-waiting!" Spike
lifted Buffy off his lap and took her hand.
"See you guys later." Buffy said as she and Spike
started to leave.
"What? You're just gonna let her go? He's gonna kill
her!"
"Relax, Xander, I have Spike with me." Buffy
smiled at her honey.
"I meant Spike! Are all you people mad, the second she
turns her back he's gonna turn on her like..."
The group waited expectantly. When nothing came and Xander
turned bright red from lack of oxygen, as he paused Buffy spoke up.
"Okay, Xander breathe and get over it. Spike's not
gonna hurt me! He's my husband, for God's sake! We'll be back in a bit - hey,
why don't you guys check out that Watcher's diary, what was his name,
honey?"
"Ackerton...Jeffery, I think."
"Jeffery Ackerton?" Giles asked, shocked.
"Yeah, you know him?" Spike asked.
"Well, he's quite renown - a bit of a rogue watcher,
you might say. He was nearly killed for covorting with a vamp-"
Realization hit Giles, "Good lord, that must’ve been
you."
"See - peroxide boy brings no good."
"Oh grow up Xander!"
"Quite. This is really very...interesting." The
group watched as Giles escaped into his own world, and collectively shook their
heads.
Buffy, quickly recognizing that look in her watchers eye as
one of research tried to make a hasty exit. "Oookay!
We're gonna go now! See ya later!" Buffy and Spike
turned again to leave, the vamp giving her a thumbs up at her request, still
pulling the slayer out of the library.
"Bye, Buffy, Spike...ooh! Bring back donuts!"
Willow called.
"Hey! I thought I was donut-guy!" Xander cried,
hurt.
"Oh, get over it!"