It took a few seconds
for Buffy to snap out of her frozen state. When she did, she forced out a
chuckle:
"Boy, you really
like the sound of your own voice, don't you."
She quickly made her way
across the living room and into the kitchenette, trying to put as much distance
between them as possible.
Opening the top
cupboards, she pretended to be busily looking for something while he was left standing
by the TV set. His head dropped slightly forward and a smile spread over his
lips while he shook his head.
"If I'm wrong, why
are you running away?" He replied turning to see her going through the
fridge.
At the accusation, Buffy
immediately closed the refrigerator door and turned to look at him from across
the room.
"I'm not running
away!" She denied vehemently.
"Right, you just
had a sudden craving to check what's to eat." He mocked crossing the
living room.
Buffy let out a sigh of
relief when he stopped at the counter and didn't follow her into the kitchen.
She watched as he crossed his arms over the white surface and leaned on it. He
lasciviously ran his tongue over his teeth before biting into his lower lip and
narrowing his eyes at her.
"Arg!" Her
face scrunched up for her growingly familiar look of disgust. "Do you
think that's at all appealing?"
A scarred eyebrow rose
on his forehead.
"What
is?"
"The whole tongue
thing." She wrinkled nose while her index finger dismissively pointed at
his mouth. "Cause I gotta tell you? It's so not." She widened her
eyes for an instance as she walked back to the refrigerator, leaning in to
inspect its contents once more.
Buffy let out a sigh
when she felt her empty stomach growl as she pushed the milk carton out of the
way.
'I can't believe it!
There's some juice left. Thank God the milk was hiding it! Juice has sugar in
it, doesn't it?' She wondered.
"Some women like
it." His voice used haughtiness.
"Right! *Some*
women. A *very* select group, and considering Harmony as a specimen...
well..." She smiled inwardly at her witty response while picking up the
small glass container. She closed the refrigerator door and continued:
"...it's not a very impressive demographic, is-" She stopped in mid-sentence,
backtracking as she turned around to find Spike's face right in front of
her.
Somehow, he had managed
to make his way unnoticed from the counter and into the kitchenette to stand
right behind her.
"My tongue bother
you, Summers?" He asked, narrowing his eyes and staring down at her.
"No." She
practically gulped the answer as she backed up, feeling the cold refrigerator
door against her back.
She clutched the bottle
of juice in her hand as she remained in place, her heart slamming in her chest
while the distinct smell of leather and alcohol seemed to wrap itself around
her.
It had started as
another successful tactic to push her buttons. Somehow, the sight of her
confused and aggravated pleased him immensely. But the moment he stepped up
behind her and she turned around, something hit him hard. He still managed to
blurt out his clever 'My tongue bother you' line, his half smirk was still in
place but inside him he felt something snap out of place. Or maybe into place,
he still wasn't sure of it yet. All he knew was that he was surrounded by the
sweetest scent he could remember. He withheld a gasp when he felt her breath on
his neck. It was warm and yet it caused his skin to prickle with
goosebumps.
They stood silent,
staring at each other for a few seconds until she suddenly moved, walking
around him and effectively snapping them out of their daze.
He let his shoulders
slouch; exhaled sharply and letting his eyes close for a second as he
unconsciously tried to register the last of her scent.
He turned around to find
her leaning on the sink, her attentions completely focused on the small glass
container in her hands.
"What's his
name?"
"Huh?" She
asked without looking up from her task. She wasn't ready to look him in the eye
just yet, so she continued to struggle with the bottle.
'Stupid thing won't
open.'
"The guy that hurt
you."
She froze at that.
"Who says there's a
guy?" She questioned looking up at him.
"There's always a
guy." He replied, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the
refrigerator.
"Well..." Her
eyes returned to the bottle as she tried to turn the cap. "There's none in
this story, ok? Stupid bottle!" She protested bagging the container
against the sink.
"Here, gimme
that." He outstretched his hand.
"I can do it."
She insisted, picking up a towel and using it to open the container.
"You really
should-"
"I can do it!"
She snapped looking up at him threateningly.
"Fine." He
gave up, putting up his hands in a sign of surrender while he watched her
struggle with the bottle for another minute. After a while she gave up and
handed it to him.
"Here."
His lips tugged at the
side for a smile as he watched her pout angrily.
With little effort he
turned the cap and opened the bottle handing it to her.
"Thanks." She
said reluctantly.
"You're welcome,
though I wouldn't drink that if I were you."
"Why not?" She
asked, the tip of the bottle stopping an inch from her lips.
"Read the
label."
Buffy frowned, turning
to read the fine print.
"Best before..."
She trailed off when she read last Monday's date. "You knew this was
passed the expiration date and you didn't tell me?"
"You didn't
ask." He replied innocently.
She growled inwardly,
throwing the bottle in the garbage container.
"I guess I'm gonna
starve." She grumbled.
"No, you're not.
Harmony's bringing us Chinese food."
"No thanks."
She said, raising both eyebrows and turning to leave.
"I would really
like to know when you actually started believing that you're better than other
people."
"What?" She
asked turning around to face him. "I don't think I'm better than
anyone."
"I beg to differ,
your highness, but that little eyebrow-nose-twisting thing you just did? It's
called scorn." He replied angrily, pushing himself off the refrigerator to
stand in front of her again.
"What
eyebrow-nose-twisting thing? I didn't do any..." Her hand came to rest on
her nose as she pouted slightly.
"Oh, yes you
did."
"I did
not."
"Yes, you
did."
"I-" she cut
herself off. "Look, you know what? I really don't feel like being dragged
into another one of you twisted little mind games. I'm tired and I just want to
take a shower and go to bed." She made a move to leave but found her path
blocked by the leather-clad Brit.
"Admit it. You
think you're better than other people."
"I do not!"
She denied vehemently.
"Yes, you
do."
"Fine! Think
whatever you want. You don't even know me." She said, trying to get past
him, but once again he stepped in front of her. "I'm really
getting-"
"His
name."
"What?"
"What's his
name?"
"What are you
talking about?" Man, he really did have a way of jumping from one subject
to the other without warning.
"Prince charming
who-done-you-wrong."
She swallowed hard and
her gaze turned cold.
"It's none of your
business."
"Oh, so there is a
guy. What did he do? Cheat? That why you only go out with... what did you call
them? 'Run of the mill, *non-psychotic*, nice guys'? That it?" He was
definitely pushing her pushing her buttons now. He could practically feel the
urge she had to punch him.
"What Angel and I
had? You could even *begin* to grasp." She spat.
"So it's Angel.
What kind of a ponce name is that?"
"Better than
Spike." She replied angrily.
"Not likely."
He mumbled.
"Very likely for
someone with an ounce of taste." She retorted.
He chose to ignore her
statement and asked:
"So, what did Angel
do to you?"
"Hey,
boink-boy!" She snapped. "If you don't want to be singing soprano for
the rest of your life, I'd suggest you move out of my way. Now."
"You wouldn't
dare." He smirked at her and that seemed to be the last straw.
Without warning her knee
came up and slammed hard against his crotch, causing him to let out a painful
shriek as he doubled over in pain. With her path clear, as he lay on the floor
mumbling a series of colourful curses, she walked out of the kitchenette,
across the living room and into her bedroom.
With an angry growl she
threw herself on the bed.
'God, the nerve of some
people!' She thought as her mind replayed the events that had just
occurred.
She waited until the
anger subsided and she was finally able to breathe properly before she stood up
again and walked around the room. Gradually, remorse started mixing in with the
rage, soothing it and eventually making it disappear.
"Oh, God. What if I
broke it?" She finally thought as occasional muffled moans continued to
carry through the door.
She did another couple
of full circles before she decided to go back into the living room and
ascertain the damage she had caused. Silently, she pushed the door open and
walked along the corridor. She found him lying sprawled on the couch, one arms
flung over his face while the other held a bag of ice pressed against his
crotch.
She stood there, quietly
hearing him moan out a couple of curses.
"A-Are you
ok?" She managed to say anxiously.
The arm that covered his
face moved out of the way and he glanced up at her to reveal blood-shot
eyes.
"Well, I don't
think I'm gonna sing soprano for the rest of my life."
"Oh, God I'm so
sorry. I didn't mean to- I-I'm so sorry." She stuttered nervously, quickly
coming to kneel next to the couch. "I-I... We should get you to a hospital
or something. Check if... You know. If... um..." Her head tilted towards his
crotch. "If everything's working... down there." She felt the blood rush
to her cheeks.
"Care to take it
for a test drive?" He suggestively wiggled his eyebrows at her.
"Arg! God, you
can't even quit the sexual innuendoes when you're on the verge of castration,
can you?" She asked disgusted.
"It's beyond my
control." He replied.
"Disgusting..."
She mumbled standing up and turning to leave.
"Ouch!" He
cried out and in a flash she was by his side.
"Are you
ok?"
"Now that you
mention it... I think it could use a massage." He half growled.
"Pig!"
"It's chow
time!" Harmony's cheerful voice came from the front door as she pushed it
open and entered the apartment with two large plastic bags in each hand.
"Spike? Oh, my God! What happened?"
She rushed to kneel down
on the floor in front of the couch while Buffy silently moved away.
"Nothing. Just had
an accident." Spike replied; his eyes fixed on Buffy.
"What do you mean?
How?"
"I... um walked into
one of the stools." Was the first excuse he could think of. Thankfully,
the woman he was trying to convince wasn't too bright.
"Oh, you poor little
thing." She mumbled child-like as she snuggled against his chest, while he
looked over her blonde hair to find Buffy mouthing:
'Thank you.'
'You're welcome.' He
mouthed back, just before she disappeared into the corridor and into her
bedroom.
~+~
Buffy lay on her bed,
staring up at the ceiling. Today had probably been one of the strangest days in
her life. She let out a sigh and reached for the telephone, dialling the
familiar number.
"Hello? Dawn? It's
Buffy. Hey, how are you?"
"Hey,
Buffy."
"I missed you last
weekend. You were and Janice's. Maybe you should stop sleeping over there all
the time. You know you can't leave mom alone. Not now."
"Mom's fine. You
heard what the doctor said." Dawn replied.
"You shouldn't
leave her alone like that anyway."
"But she's not even
at home most of the time."
"What do you
mean?" Buffy frowned.
"Well... she's... out...
you know." Dawn stuttered a bit.
"No, I don't know.
What do you mean?"
There was a silence on
the other side of the line.
"Dawn. Where's
mom?"
"Um..." Dawn
hesitated before settling for: "She's out."
"Out? What do you
mean out? Oh, God!" Buffy fingers froze around the telephone cord.
"Dawn, did something happen to mom? Dawn is she-"
"Relax, will you?
Mom's fine. She's... at work."
"What do you mean
at work? It's Saturday night. What's mom doing at the gallery at this
hour?"
"She just had some
things to take care of."
"Dawn? I'm your
sister; I know when you're lying."
"Mom's gonna kill
me when she finds out I told you but... She's been working a few extra hours a
week. "
"Why?" Buffy
frowned as she resumed twirling the telephone cord.
There was a long
pause.
"Dawn!"
"Fine! Mom's
working to get some extra money to pay for the hospital bills. Apparently, the
insurance she had didn't cover all the medical stuff or something so we are
going to have to pay for them. There, I said it." Dawn let out a long
sigh. She was really in trouble now. "Buffy, are you there?"
The silence dragged on
for a few seconds before Buffy uttered:
"I'm coming
over."
"What?! It's ten
o'clock at night. Buffy!"
There was no answer but
the busy signal from the other side of the line.
"Great! Mom's gonna
kill me." Dawn muttered as she hung up the phone.
Within three minutes
Buffy was out of her bedroom and crossing the living room.
"Where are you
going?" Harmony's voice caused her to stop in mid-stride.
"Home." Buffy
replied.
"At this
hour?" The ex-cheerleader wondered from her place on the couch next to
Spike as she forked a large amount of sweet and sour pork into her mouth.
"Yes." Buffy
replied as she resumed walking.
"You can't go on
the bus alone at this hour." Spike finally spoke up.
"I'll be
fine." Buffy said as she searched for her keys on the kitchen
counter.
"I'll drive you."
Spike announced standing up and setting his carton box on the coffee table
before reaching for his duster and putting it on.
"No. I can take the
bus. I'll be fine."
"I'll drive you. I
have to go anyway."
Buffy flushed a bit when
she noticed him limping a bit as he made his way towards her.
"You're going. I
thought you were gonna stay over, so we could..." Harmony trailed off with a
large lascivious grin.
"Sorry, luv. I
think the shop's closed; at least for tonight." He replied before turning
to Buffy. "Let's go."
She was still glued to
the floor, holding the door open, stunned by his readiness to give her a
ride.
"Are you
sure?" She asked as she watched him cross the front door.
"I'm sure. Bye,
Harm."
Closing her hanging
mouth, Buffy exited the apartment and followed him into the elevator.
They walked in awkward
silence to the car.
The ride home seemed
longer than usual as the only sounds filling the old car were the hard guitar
cords coming from the radio and Buffy's occasional directions.
"Turn right
here." Buffy instructed. "It's that house." She pointed as the
car came to a halt just in front of her driveway. "Well... thanks." She
spoke awkwardly.
"You're
welcome."
Her hand lingered on the
door.
"I better..."
She tilted her head toward her house.
"Yeah." He
nodded.
She had just opened the
door and was about to exit when she let herself drop back into the car
seat.
"I'm really sorry
about earlier."
"It's ok, luv. Not
the first and probably not the last time."
"You're limping.
Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital to check."
"I'll be
fine." He assured her.
"Ok, if you say
so." She said stepping out of the car. "Thanks again for the
ride."
He simply nodded.
"Bye."
"Night,
Summers."
She gulped and turned
around, heading for her house. She walked up the front steps and pushed the key
into the lock, turning it and pushing the door open. She glanced over her
shoulder to find him still parked in her driveway, waiting for her to enter the
house. She waved at him just before closing the door behind her.
She couldn't resisted,
looking through the side window and watch him as he finally drove away.
She turned on the couch,
hugging the blanket closer to her curled up form as she rolled over. Her brows
wrinkled in protest as suddenly sharp light filtered through her closed
eyelids. She blinked a couple of times, running her hand over her face while
she tried to focus her gaze on the shadowy shape knelt in front of her.
"Buffy, honey? What
are you doing home?"
"Mom?"
"Hey, honey."
The soft voice whispered near her ear, before she felt warm lips press against
her cheek.
Buffy clumsily propped
herself up on her elbows and looked up at the woman now sitting on the couch.
"What are you doing
here? I thought you weren't coming home for the weekend." Joyce questioned
while her eldest daughter sat up straight, her feet lingering on the couch.
She pressed her lips
together, opening and closing her dry mouth a couple of times before she spoke:
"I called. You
weren't home." Pausing for a second, she stared at her mother before
continuing: "Why didn't you tell me you were working extra hours to pay
for the hospital bills?"
Joyce's smile crumbled
at that and she let out a sigh, diverting her eyes from her daughter before
looking back up at her.
"I didn't want you
to worry, honey."
"You should have
told me. I have the right to know these things. You can't keep protecting me
like that. I'm not a kid anymore." Buffy started, trying hard to keep her
calm.
Somehow, it always ended
up here - her mom not trusting her with the truth, trying to shield her from
reality no matter how many times she asked her not to.
"We've talked about
this before." She said pressing her fingers against the bridge of her nose
as her eyes refused to adjust to the bright light.
"I know. I'm sorry.
But everything's fine now."
"Everything's not
fine, mom." Buffy snapped for a second, sighing loudly the next and taking
a moment to control her growing anger. "It's not fine." She continued
with a softer tone. "You're working God knows how many hours. You come
home in the middle of the night - on a Saturday! I mean, look at the
time." She squinted as she checked her wrist watch. "It's 4 o'clock in
the morning, mom. How did you get home, anyway?"
"Someone from the
gallery drove me home." Joyce explained.
"You can't keep
doing this. After-" She choked a bit as recent memories flooded her drowsy
mind. "After what happened to you... you have to take it easy."
"Buffy, the doctor
said everything's fine. You don't have to worry."
"Well, I do,
alright?!" She raised her tone as the tears started to well up in her
eyes. "I do! I worry all the time! Every time the phone rings, every time
I come home, every time I walk through *that* door..." Her trembling index
finger pointed towards the front door. Gradually, the anger faded from her
voice, being replaced by despair and fear. "I think I'm gonna find you
lying on this couch a-and..." She inhaled sharply as the words seemed to
strangle her. "and-and this time I'm not gonna be able to help you."
Finally, she allowed the
tears to thread down her flushed cheeks; her eyebrows coming together over her
glassy, bloodshot eyes.
"Oh, honey.
Nothing's gonna happen." Joyce assured her soothingly, sliding along the
couch to wrap her arms around Buffy's shivering form. "Everything's gonna
be fine. I promise you."
She remained cocooned in
her mother's embrace until the tears subsided. Slowly, she crawled from between
her mother's arms.
"I'm moving back home
tomorrow." She announced, sitting up straight once again and brushing the
back of her hand over her right cheek.
"What?" Joyce
frowned.
"I'm moving back.
That way we can save the rent money."
"Buffy, you don't
have to do that. I told you I can-"
"No, mom. I'm not
gonna have you working overtime just to keep me in that apartment." She
insisted, shaking her head.
"Honey, you don't
have to do that."
"Yes, I do. And
another thing - first thing Monday morning I'm gonna get a job. There's no use
in arguing. I'm not gonna change my mind." Buffy guaranteed. "I think
I saw an ad at the Expresso Pump for a waitress."
A soft smile spread over
her mother's lips, while her hand came to cup Buffy's cheek.
"You're
amazing."
The young blonde
couldn't help but smile back through the quickly drying tears.
"But you're not
moving back." Joyce finished.
"Of course I am.
I've-"
"Well, I'm not
letting you." Mrs. Summers said simply, standing up and walking towards
the kitchen, leaving her astonished daughter sitting on the couch.
"What do you mean
you're not letting me?"
"I mean, I'm not
letting you move in. You're going to have to set up camp outside if you go
through with this." Joyce said matter-of-factly from the kitchen.
"Mom!" Buffy
protested, finally following her mother. "I-"
"Buffy, college
isn't just about memorizing books and theories. It's about learning how to live
on your own; how to make it on your own."
"But, mom-"
"There are not
buts, young lady." Joyce cut her off. "I'm very happy and proud that
you would sacrifice yourself in the name of our family, honey. I am. But you
don't have to move back in."
"Mom, I'm not gonna
let you keep working extra hours at the gallery. I'm not!" Buffy
maintained.
Joyce dropped her gaze
to the floor and inhaled sharply, pausing for a few seconds while she
considered the dilemma.
"I think I have a
solution." She finally spoke, looking up at her daughter. "You can
get a job - one that *does not* interfere with you studies." Joyce pointed
out. "It'll actually be good for you." She pondered. "That way
you can pay the apartment rent and I won't have to work extra hours. How does
that sound?" She offered.
"Mom, it'd be
easier if I also moved back in." Buffy tried one last time.
"Nonsense."
"Are you
sure?"
"Positive."
"Cause I really
wouldn't mind moving back in, as long it means I'll get away from
Harmony." Buffy stepped back into her routine of complaining about her
roommate.
"What did she do
this time?" Joyce asked rolling her eyes and smiling.
"I am now convinced
that she exists for the soul purpose of making my life a living hell."
Buffy continued as she started going through the refrigerator's contents.
"Is there something to eat? I'm starving."
~+~
With a deep breath she
tied the apron around her waist and walked through the swinging door.
Instantly, the loud chattering of college students filled her ears.
It was her fifth hour on
the job and she already hated it. She barely had anytime to breathe, she was
hungry, her feet were sore and she was tired of being yelled, shushed and
actually, once, cursed at for mixing up the orders. When she actually managed
to jot down the orders that were thrown at her at the speed of light, she
somehow managed to forget the table they were meant for. She also discovered
her complete inability to balance a tray and had spilled *very hot* drinks on
herself, resulting in three different apron-changes.
Over all, her life was
hell on earth.
"Here I go
again." She said between clenched teeth.
Not a second went by
before a young blonde man sitting at a crowded table signalled her.
'Probably the
football team.' She thought, spotting two of the boys in uniform.
"Plus half of the cheering squad. Great!" She muttered between
clenched teeth when she noticed the two giggling girls that clung to the arms
of three of the players.
She quickly made her way
towards the testosterone charged table.
"Good afternoon.
Welcome to the Expresso Pump. Can I take your order?" She managed to
flawlessly say her pre-programmed line, while she took out her pen and pad from
the front pocket of her apron.
"Hi." The
young man looked up at her and smiled.
Thankfully, the rest of
the team seemed to be unaware of her presence. She was so tired of being hit on
by moronic jocks.
"I'd like 1 coffee
latte shake, 2 expressos, 1 large cappuccino skim milk, 2 large cappuccinos
whole milk..."
She scribbled furiously
on her pad as the young man went on:
"1 iced coffee,
with sugar and 2 mocca coffee, 1 medium, 1 large." He put down the menu
and looked up at Buffy.
There was a look of
complete despair on her face.
"So..." She
started nervously. "That's 1 coffee latte shake, 2 expressos, 1 large...
um.... Cappuccino... and..." She looked up from her pad and with a nervous smile
blurted out apologetically: "Sorry, you kinda lost me at the first cappuccino."
To her surprise, the
blonde smiled understandingly.
"New at the
job?" He asked.
"First day. That
obvious?" She questioned.
"Not too
much."
"Hey, Riley! Quit
flirting with the waitress and just get our drinks." One of the jocks
shouted grumpily, earning a series of grunt-like giggles from the other members
of the team.
"Don't mind them.
They're just frustrated that they can't drink any alcohol. We've got a game
tomorrow."
Buffy smiled.
Picking up the menu he
went through the order once again, this time at a slower pace.
"Got that?"
"Got it. I'll be
right back." Buffy grinned and turned on her heels, walking towards the
bar.
She repeated the order
to the bartender and went back to her other tables.
"Hey,
Buffster."
Buffy frowned at the
familiar voice, turning to find Anya and Xander sitting at one of her tables.
"Hey, guys. What
are you doing here?" She asked with a huge smile, coming up to them.
"Came to see how
you were doing. Couldn't miss your first day on the job, could I?" Xander
replied.
"Thanks."
"Do you have time
to sit down for a sec?"
Buffy looked around and,
noticing that the crowd had thinned down, she decided there was no harm in
resting for a minute or two. Plus, her feet were killing her.
"God, I'm
beat." She sighed, dropping down on the chair next to Xander. "After
I leave here I'm going straight to bed. I don't care how bad I smell."
"Well, you kinda
smell like greasy coffee." Anya blurted out after sniffing the air.
"Anya!"
"What? She brought
it up. I was just being honest." She said in her defence.
In the meantime, Buffy
ignored the mini-lover's spout. She was focused on not falling asleep. It was
only 7 pm but she was ready to climb into her bed and only wake up the next
day. Good thing her shift would be over in one hour.
"So, having a tough
time?" Xander asked.
"It's hell."
She said with forced cheeriness, but it lasted less than a second. "I
mean, have you any idea how many types of coffee they have here?"
"It's a coffee
shop." Anya pointed out. "They're supposed to have different types of
coffee."
"Well, there are
too many." Buffy pouted slouching back on the chair. "What happened
to good old plain coffee? I can't believe people can even tell them apart. It's
ridiculous."
"Poor
Buffster." Xander said sympathetically.
Taking in a deep breath
Buffy continued:
"But, enough about
me! It'll only serve to depress me. How about you guys? Anything new?"
"Xander and I went
to a sex shop and bought-" Anya started to announce.
"Anya!" Xander
shouted, jolting upwards in his seat while the blood rushed to his cheeks.
"Remember when we said that was our little secret?"
"Sorry."
Buffy managed to spread
a smile over her lips. It was impressive just how odd and unaware of basic
social conventions Anya was.
"Have you seen
Willow? She said she might swing by today or tomorrow."
"We saw her
Saturday at the Bronze." Xander explained.
"Willow, at the
Bronze? Alone?" Buffy wondered.
"She was with a
girl. But we didn't get to met her. We barely had time to say high to Willow.
The two were on their way out." Xander continued.
"Yeah, right."
Anya muttered, rolling her eyes.
"What do you
mean?" Buffy questioned the brunette.
"Nothing."
Anya replied innocently. "I guess they were in a hurry." She
explained before turning to Xander and whined: "Can we go? We've seen her,
she fine."
"We just got
here." Xander countered.
"But you promised
we'd use the riding gear and you'd wear the fuzzy little horse outfit
tonight."
"Oh, my God!"
Xander sighed frustrated, dropping his head and covering his face with his
hands.
"I-I better get
back to work." Buffy half-stuttered, standing up and picking up her tray.
"I think one of my orders is ready. Thanks for dropping by though."
"Ok, Buffy. See
you." Xander said, getting up; his face still bright red as he followed Anya
out of the coffee shop.
"See you." She
replied shaking her head and walking back to the bar.
With a sigh she glanced
over to the table crowded with jocks and started filling up her tray.
She dragged her feet
across the threshold, not bothering to turn on the light and moving about in
the darkened living room. She let her backpack drop from her shoulder and threw
it on the coffee table. Inhaling sharply, she sprawled on the couch, resting
her forearm over her closed eyes.
A frustrated moan
escaped her parted lips when the familiar ring tone reached her ears. With some
effort she stretched her arm and reached for her backpack, digging her ringing
cell-phone out from under her books and her clothes.
"Hello?" she
practically groaned.
"Buffy? It's
Parker."
"Hey." She was
so tired she didn't even bother with hiding it from her tone.
"Are you
ok?"
"Yeah, just kinda
tired."
"Are you
sure?"
"Uh-huh." She
mumbled, fighting to keep her eyes open.
"You don't sound
too good."
"I know. I got a
job waitressing at the Expresso Pump. I just got home."
"Really? How long
have you been working there?"
"Since
Monday." She replied after a small pause. It was getting harder by the
minute to stay up.
"Oh, so that's why
you haven't answered my calls."
There was no
reply.
"Buffy?" He
called from the other side of the line.
"Huh? What?"
She was jolted back to reality. "Sorry, what did you say?"
"I just figured
that that's why you haven't answered any of my calls this week."
"Oh, I'm sorry.
It's just been kinda hectic this week, with the new job and classes. I'm
sorry." She apologized.
"It's ok. You're
forgiven." She heard him say sympathetically. "I was just calling to
ask if you wanna go to this party tomorrow."
"Party?" She
mumbled sleepily.
"Yeah. It's sort of
a pre-Halloween party."
"Pre-Halloween
party?"
"I know." He
giggled. "We make up the stupidest reasons to have a party, don't we? So,
are you coming?"
"Um... I really don't
know. I've let these reading assignments pile up during the week. I should
really focus on them." She said, trying to avoid the night out. She was
just too tired to move, let alone dance.
"Oh, come on. You
owe me." He begged over the line.
"I
just..."
"It'll be fun. I
promise and if you want to get home early I'll totally understand. Just give it
a chance. Please?" He continued.
After a long pause she
gave in.
"Ok, I'll
go."
"Great. I'll pick
you up at eight?" He asked.
"Sure."
"See you
then."
"Bye."
"Goodnight."
"Night." She
replied, thankful to be hanging up.
'Finally. Sleep.' Was
the last thought to cross her mind.
~+~
They stumbled into the
apartment between her hysterical laughs and his bored sighs. With her arms
tangled around his neck, she clung to him, burying her face in the collar of
his shirt while he was forced to practically drag her across the room. Without
warning, she jumped up into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist
attacking his mouth. He didn't protest; he was actually glad that her incessant
giggling fit had come to a halt, or, at least, was now muffled by his
lips.
His hands came to grab
her thighs and bring her closer to him while he staggered along until he hit
the back of the couch. She broke off the kiss and trailed her lips down his neck,
his head feel back for a second as he tried to block out her high-pitch
chuckles.
One of her hands was
snaking under his shirt when he opened his eyes and saw a shadowy figure curled
up on the couch.
"Hey, Harm."
He whispered.
"What?" She
mumbled against his collarbone, dragging her nose along his skin.
"You're roommate's
here." He said; his eyes fixed on the small form as the streams of light
coming from the partially closed blinds allowed him to see her face more
clearly.
"So what? She's
probably asleep by now." Harmony said dismissively, continuing with her
task.
His hand grasped her
wrist just as her fingers tried to slip inside his jeans.
"No. I mean she's
right here." He hissed.
Reluctantly, Harmony
looked over her shoulder to find Buffy sleeping on the sofa. With a sigh, she
jumped off the back of the couch and, grabbing his hand, proceeded to drag him
towards the corridor that lead to the rooms.
"You're just gonna
leave her there?" He said in a low voice, stopping in his tracks.
"Yeah."
Harmony replied with a shrug. "Let's go." She said cheerfully, taking
his hand in hers and making her way to her bedroom.
She was forced to stop
when he wouldn't move.
"You can't leave
her there."
"Why not?"
Harmony asked, starting to get frustrated with the conversation that was
postponing their bedroom session.
"She'll... um...
She'll... It's cold." He finally blurted with a frown.
"So
what?"
"So...So she'll catch
a cold and...um..." He struggled for a quick answer as she looked at him
accusingly. "And then you'll get it and I don't want you to get
sick."
'Stroke of genius.'
Spike silently congratulated himself.
"Oh, blondie bear." She said babyishly, wrapping her arms around his neck
and attacking his lips. "You're worried about me?" She asked a little
too loudly.
"Harmony, keep it
down, will you?" He grumbled, pulling away from her.
"You're so
sweet." She insisted in using that annoying tone.
"Yeah, I'm a
human-shaped sugary delight." He said dismissively, his eyes on the girl
sleeping on the couch.
She was fast asleep, her
hands tucked under her head, her hair still tied in a binding ponytail, even
though a few blonde strings managed to elude the elastic band to curl down her
neck.
"And I'm gonna lick
you *all* up." She growled naughtily, running her tongue along the side of
his face and snapping him out of his daze. "Well, let's get her to
bed." Harmony said, marching her way towards the couch.
His hand was around her
arm in a flash.
"What are you
doing?"
"Waking her
up." Harmony said the obvious.
"You can't wake her
up."
"Huh?"
"Then she'll start
nagging and yapping on and on about the noise." He improvised.
"Oh."
"I better carry her
into her bedroom." He suggested innocently.
"Ok." She
agreed before leaning in. "I'll go take a shower. Maybe you can join me
after?" She muttered mischievously into his ear between giggles before
scampering off into the bathroom.
He was left there in the
living room with her, the occasional honk of a passing car being the only thing
breaking the silence. The sound coming from the leather as he slipped his hands
into the pockets of his duster and made his way around the coffee table filled
the room. He squat down in front of her and a smile spread over his lips. Poor
thing must have been exhausted juggling school and work.
Before he knew it, he
was brushing away one of the loose strings of hair that fell over her face. Her
nose wrinkled a bit and her hand came up to scratch it for a second before
hiding back under her cheek. The sound of water running shattered the moment
and he went back to his assigned task.
He carefully snaked his
right hand under her neck, resting it against the back of her shoulder. He
stopped when he saw her face scrunch up in protest at the imposition. After a
few seconds, she relaxed against his arm and he slipped his other hand under
her bare knees, lifting her up in one smooth motion. He tried to ignore the
pair of tanned thighs that were revealed as the grey skirt hiked up and
gathered around her hips.
He mechanically walked
the small distance to her bedroom door, pushing it open and entering.
Cautiously, he placed
her on the mattress, but instead of turning around and leaving, he found
himself still crouched in front of her, somehow drawn to her misleading angelic
form. She looked so soft and helpless, curled up on her side, still wearing her
waitress uniform. There was no trace of the wild creature he had seen the first
time they'd met, or of the no less fiery girl he had come to know and quip with
afterwards.
He wondered which side
he liked best - the sharp, opinionated version, or the fragile, soft one he was
presented with tonight.
His eyes drifted up and
down her body, unconsciously memorizing every slope and every peak. Inevitably,
his fingers decided to join in, coming up to graze over her bare arm, down her
side, across her hip and finally brushing along her right thigh.
'So soft.'
His gaze snapped up to
her face when she mumbled something and dragged her face over her pillow as she
tried to find a more comfortable position. His hand abandoned her leg and
recoiled back, resting on the mattress as he continued to stare
intensely.
The longer he stayed
there, the harder it became to deny the strange effect her presence had on
him.
"Spike."
Suddenly, he was up. He
turned around to find a soaked Harmony standing at the foot of the door,
wrapped in a towel.
"There you are. I
missed you in-"
"Shh!" He
hissed, quickly closing the distance between them, dragging her into the
corridor and closing the door behind him.
"-the shower. What
took you so long?" She wondered in her usual babyish tone.
Her arms were once again
wrapped around his neck and she practically dangled off him.
During the last few
weeks, Harmony had become increasingly exasperating. Her voice was too shrilly
and her conversation had grown so boring, it didn't seem worth the trouble. Not
even for sex!
Gradually, even her
figure, which was probably the only thing that had drawn him to her in the
first place started to annoy him. Suddenly, her hair was too blonde, her shoulders
too broad, her chest... God, even her breasts were too big. 'When did breasts get
to be too big?' And the weirdest thing was the fact that he was beginning to
think she was too tall. Since when didn't he like tall women? Dru was tall and
that was one of the things that he loved about her. He always hated the whole
'petit' thing. His women were supposed to be... well, women and not little
girls.
Point was that the woman
that was now crawling over his body as he lay on her bed was definitely
starting to get on his nerves. So why was he still with her? Instinctively, his
eyes diverted to the wall that separated the two bedrooms. His gaze clung to
the wall for a few seconds before he shook the frightening thought away.
"Oh, Spike."
Harmony's moan brought him back to reality.
"Um... Harm." He
tried but she seemed too entertained with his bare chest to hear him.
"Harm." He
called out, holding her by her arms and eventually getting her attention.
She looked up at him
with large eyes.
"Do you mind if we
don't... tonight?" He asked.
"Why?" She
whined with a frown.
"I'm just too
tired, I guess."
'Since when do I get too
tired for sex?"
"Since when do you
get too tired for sex?" She sulked.
"I just am."
He said, helping her roll off him and sit up.
"Are you ok?"
He heard her ask. "You're not sick or anything, are you?"
"What? No. I just
don't feel like having sex."
'I can't believe I just
said that.' He thought.
"Oh." She
moped.
"Harm..." He
started, but gave up, standing up. "I better go."
"You're not
staying?" Harmony asked with a hopeful glint in her eyes.
"I better get
home." He replied walking out of the room. "Night, Harm."
"Night." She
mumbled just before she heard the front door open and close.
~+~
She sat on the couch,
feet neatly tucked under her with a bowl of cornflakes in her hand while she
watched the TV screen. Her spoon froze in the air, halfway to her mouth, when
she saw Harmony enter the living room and cross it only to go back into her
bedroom the next second. With a sigh, Buffy set the bowl down, slid her feet
into her slippers and dragged them to Harmony's bedroom. The door was open and
she leaned her shoulder on the threshold and watched as her roommate walked
around in circles in the middle the pink room.
"Ok, what's
up?" Buffy asked, causing Harmony to snap her head around and look at
her.
"Nothing." She
replied with little conviction.
"You've gone around
the living room and back here eight times in one hour. Something's
up."
It wasn't a very big
surprise for Buffy how short lived Harmony's initial reluctance was.
"He doesn't want
me." She cried out, dramatically throwing herself on the bed and covering
her head with her hands.
"He
who?"
"Huh?" Harmony
looked up, with growingly red eyes.
"Who doesn't want
you?" Buffy explained, still hesitant to enter the frighteningly pink
room.
"Spiiiike."
She sobbed, letting her head fall on the mattress again.
"Oh." Buffy
tried to sound sympathetic. "Why do you think that?"
Harmony looked up before
belching out: "Because he doesn't wanna have sex with me
anymooooore."
"Oh." Buffy's
eyes widened.
'Maybe I shouldn't get
into this. The whole roommate bonding thing was a bad idea anyway.' She
decided, silently backtracking, but it was too late.
"Last night...
*hiccup* we came here and... *sob* we were about to get all hot and wild
and..."
Buffy couldn't help
cringing at the mental picture that popped into her head.
"And then I decided
to take a shower while he got you into your room."
'Oh. So that's how I
woke up in my bed. I knew I had fallen asleep on the couch.' Buffy put an end
to the doubt that had been nagging her all day. 'Wait a second! Backtrack a
bit. Boink-boy carried me into my room?!'
In the meantime, Harmony
continued to sob:
"And then we were
on the bed and I was doing that thing that he likes. You know, nibbling on his
nipple."
"No, I didn't know
that." Buffy said, pushing her lips together for a forced smile before
muttering: "And I'm pretty sure I was a physiologically healthier human
being without that bit of info."
Harmony, however,
ignored her.
"And then he's all
- I don't feel like it today. I'm tiiired." She continued.
Buffy remained at the
threshold, questioning what to do next. This conversation was definitely taking
a very bad turn. Her mind raced in search for a sympathetic reply. After a few
seconds all it came up with was:
"Oh."
"He's never too
tired for sex. And I mean NEVER." Harmony emphasized, widening her eyes at
the last word and sitting up on the bed. "Even after the fifth time in a
row, he's still up for more. I'm the one who has to stop him cause I'm too
sore. Remember last week, when I skipped the first couple classes?" She
asked before answering herself: "I couldn't walk. We tried this new position
where he-"
"Ok." Buffy
raised her hand instantly. "Too much mentally scarring information there,
Harmony."
"Oh. Sorry."
Harmony apologized. She paused for a second she wailed loudly: "He want me
anymooooore."
This time Buffy felt
compelled to come closer. Awkwardly, she sat on the bed, her hand coming
hesitantly to pat Harmony on the back.
"There,
there." She muttered.
She was about to frown
at her choice of words, when suddenly found herself lost in Harmony's crushing
embrace.
"He doesn't want
me." The ex-cheerleader's cry came out muffled against the fabric of
Buffy's t-shirt.
In the meantime, Buffy
snapped out of her initial shock and put her arms around her convulsing
roommate.
"Of course he wants
you." She finally said.
"No, he
doesn't." Harmony insisted.
"Yes, he does.
Maybe he's just... tired."
At that, Harmony looked
up - dark tracks of mascara ran down her cheeks.
"He's *never*
tired." Harmony assured her.
"Well, maybe he's
having trouble... um... getting the machinery to work." Buffy suggested
awkwardly.
"Huh?"
"You know. He's
having trouble saluting."
The questioning frown
remained on Harmony's face.
Buffy sighed. 'So much
for Xander's euphemisms.'
"Maybe he's having
trouble having an erection."
"Oh!" Harmony
muttered. After a few seconds, realisation seemed to set in and she raised both
eyebrows. "Oh!"
"Exactly. Maybe
he's having trouble and he's just afraid to admit it."
"That's not
it." Harmony said with a pout.
"Why not?"
Buffy frowned.
"Trust me, Buffy.
That's not it." She insisted with a half-smile that made Buffy's brow
furrow even further. But she didn't dare to ask any details. She was pretty
sure Harmony would have no problems in providing vivid descriptions.
"Well, how many
times has this happened?"
"Once."
Harmony replied, her lower lips jutting out.
"Once? He doesn't
want to have sex with you once and you start having a wailing fit?!" Buffy
asked outraged.
"Yes."
"It was just once,
Harmony. It's normal not to want to have sex *all* the time." Buffy
replied angrily, standing up.
"Not with Spike. He
never-"
"He's always up for
it! I get it!" She cut her off. "He's a sex-addict." Buffy said
turning to leave.
"It's true."
Harmony replied to the now empty room.
"Well, it's not
normal." Buffy shouted from the corridor.
"Of course it
is." Harmony shouted back.
Within seconds Buffy's
head popped into the room:
"Trust me, Harmony.
It isn't."
And then she was gone.
She wrapped the coat
around her body before she stepped out of the car and smiled up at him as he held
the door open for her.
"This is the
place?" She asked as her gaze absorbed the student-packed house.
"Yeah. Cool,
huh?" Parker asked locking the car before leading her up the driveway.
She simply nodded and
forced another smile onto her face. The truth was she really didn't feel like
going to a party. With the week she had had, all she wanted was to lay sprawled
on the couch, eating a huge bowl of popcorn and falling asleep to some old
movie. Tonight would probably be one of the few nights she'd be able to do
that, since Harmony was out and she'd have the whole house to herself.
When the ex-cheerleader
had suddenly decided to pack up and spend the rest of the weekend at home, she
had been tempted to phone Parker and cancel her date with him. She had actually
called him, but he had sounded so excited about the party she just couldn't get
the courage to postpone it. So, reluctantly, she went with him and now she was
standing in the middle of a packed house, music blazing, much like the last
party he had taken her to, waiting for him to bring them something to drink.
She sighed and pressed
her lips together as she scanned the room. 'Couple making out... football
player chugging down a whole keg of beer... couple making out... guy
passed out... couple dry humping... girl passed out with panties showing... Oh, yes
and yet another couple dry humping!' She thought. Her eyes widened for a
second: 'Um... scratched that. Replace with couple *actually* having sex in a
room filled with people.' Shaking her head she turned around to be greeted
by a grinning Parker. 'Yep! It's exactly the same party. Right down to
crazy-naked-guy-sprawled-on-the-table.' She realised.
"Having fun?"
He asked handing her a glass.
"Yeah." She
said with forced enthusiasm as she sipped her drink. Her nose wrinkled and her
tongue stuck out for a second. "Does this have alcohol?"
"Just a
little." Parker answered.
"Sure tastes like
it has a lot." She replied over the roaring music.
"Buffy, relax. I'm
not gonna get you drunk. I promise." He said.
She smiled and continued
to tap her foot to the beat, taking another sip. After a few sips it didn't
sting that much.
~+~
She swayed her body to
the beat, arms raised in the air, her head tossing from one side to the other,
her hair accompanying the motion. Somehow, in the space of... - 'how long has
it been since we got here?' She wondered - she had gone from quiet
chit-chatting on the couch with Parker to full blown hip-swinging girl on the
table.
'Right next to crazy
naked guy.' She thought, looking down with a frown.
Narrowing her eyes, she
tried to find a familiar face. When she failed to achieve her goal she felt a
pang of fear in her chest and her heart started racing. She stopped dancing
immediately, turning around and fumbling over which side of the table to use to
get down. Just as her stomach started to turn and heart seemed to want to jump
out of her mouth she felt a strong hand on her calf. She jumped up and turned
to find Parker looking up at her.
"There you are.
I've been looking all over for you."
She sighed in relief.
'Thank God.' She
thought, kneeling down. Taking his helping hand she was able to get off the
table.
"Where were
you?" He asked as she flung her arms around him. "I thought I'd lost
you back there."
"Thank God, you're
here." She breathed, clinging onto him as balance seemed to be a major
task at the moment.
"It's ok. Relax.
What happened?" He asked.
"I don't
know." She replied with a deep frown, finally releasing him from her
embrace but keeping her hand on his shoulder for steadiness. "How long
have we been here?" She asked, swallowing hard, sitting on a nearby chair.
"About two
hours." He replied. "I lost track of you half an hour ago when you
went to the bathroom."
"Oh." She
mumbled a little nauseated. This whole thing was starting to freak her out.
"Are you ok?"
"I don't think
so." She said weakly. "I better go home."
"You sure?"
She nodded.
"Ok. I'll drive you
home." He offered sympathetically.
She forced a simile on
her face as he helped her up, wrapping her arm around his neck and making their
way across the crowded place.
~+~
The drive home helped
her get herself back together. Slowly, the ability to focus her eyes on an
object seemed to return, along with the talent to articulate full sentences
without stuttering or loosing her train of thought. Even bits and pieces of the
evening began to flash back into her mind. She remembered sitting by the pool
talking to Parker, her legs dangling over the edge, her feet submerged in the
cold water.
'I guess that's why
my jeans are kinda wet.' She thought. 'Thanks God.' She didn't
really wanna think of the alternative explanation she had come up with.
She was pretty sure that
she was sober during that time. They had talked about school... and her new job...
her mom and his father's death. It had been nice.
'I think.'
She struggled to
remember more, but was snapped out of her thoughts when the car door opened and
she realised they had come to a stop, right in front of her apartment.
"Thanks." She
breathed, stepping out of the car with his aid. "I think I'm able to walk
again." She joked releasing his hand.
"Are you
sure?"
"U-huh." She
nodded.
They stood in front of
her door, an uncomfortable silence settling between them, until he broke it.
"Well, I
better-"
"Do you want to
come up?" The words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself.
He chuckled at the
awkward moment but nodded. She smiled, reaching for the keys and opening the
door. The two stepped inside and called the elevator.
As they entered the
apartment, she turned on the lights and tossed the keys onto the kitchen
counter.
"Do you want
something to drink?" She asked while her mind wondered just what the hell
she was doing.
"What do you
have?"
She opened the
refrigerator.
"Milk.... Apple juice..." She responded automatically while her
brain continued to ponder the situation she found herself in.
A part of her pulled her
back, begging her to just say her goodnights and go to bed... alone, but the
other... It had been so long since she'd had somebody - four long months, three
of which anguishing over her mother's well being. Now that she thought about
it, it was probably the tumour that took her mind off her own emotions. While
she worried over her mother she didn't have time. All she thought about was
taking her mother in and out of hospitals, taking care of Dawn, cleaning the
house, making sure that dinner was ready. She had a heavy routine that kept her
busy. Not that she wasn't busy now. She had work and school to worry about, but
it was nothing compared to that hellish summer. That hellish summer that kept
her safe from her own needs. But now...
"Apple juice sounds
good."
Parker's reply brought
her back to reality.
"Apple juice it
is." She said picking up the container. "Damn."
"What?"
"We're out of apple
juice." She said waiving the container in the air. "Sorry. Harmony
has the habit of drinking the juice and leaving the container in the fridge. I
hate that." She growled, throwing the carton in the garbage.
"It's ok. I'm not
thirsty." He replied with a smile.
There was the silence
again - the God awful, chest tightening silence.
"Wanna watch
TV?" She blurted.
"Sure."
The two moved over to
the couch and she turned on the TV set, handing him the remote, while she
picked up the TV guide.
"I'll see if there
are any good movies tonight."
He nodded and his eyes
went back to the flickering screen.
As she turned the pages
she heard her mind ask once again what she was doing. She didn't know. She was
on auto-pilot, she guessed.
Parker was nice, and
funny. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes. 'And sweet.'
She added in her thoughts.
Truth was she was tired
of being alone. Tired of pining over... She shook her head as her mind strayed to
dangerous territory. She couldn't think of Angel. Not now. It still hurt and
all she wanted was to forget and get on with her life. She just wanted to go on
and maybe Parker would help her do that.
She was tired of always
rationalizing everything, of keeping everyone at bay, thinking she was keeping
herself safe when in reality all she was doing was isolating herself.
She flipped the pages
and thought of Xander and Anya. They seemed so happy together. Always fighting
and making up, but always there for one another. She wanted that, she needed to
have that... again. And maybe Parker was the one who was going to give her that
much needed complicity.
Sure, they were still a
little uneasy with each other, there were still those awkward moments of
silence, but that was normal, right? They still didn't know each other all that
well.
"Find
anything?" He asked.
"Huh? Oh! No,
nothing yet." She shook her head, burying her gaze between the pages of
the TV guide.
She felt so confused and
the alcohol still making its way through her system wasn't helping at all. She
wasn't drunk anymore, but she still felt kinda... light-headed.
A voice in her mind
screamed at her to just push him away, like it always did with every man that
tried to get close. She pushed it back, setting the TV guide on the table.
"They're showing
Casablanca on channel 6." She replied, sitting back.
"Casablanca it
is." He smiled changing the channel.
The two sat still,
waiting for the movie to come on.
Buffy's mind raced as
she slowly, inched her body closer to his. She was about to set her hand on his
thigh when she suddenly stood up, causing Parker to jump up a bit.
"I'll make some
popcorn." She announced, nervously making her way into the kitchen.
'What am I doing?
What am I doing?' She asked herself over and over again as she
automatically went over the process of making microwave popcorn. 'I'm being
free. That's what I'm doing. I'm in college now, I shouldn't be afraid of this.
It's normal. Sex is normal. It's not such a huge deal. I have the right to have
fun and not feel guilty or afraid.' She rationalized when her heart started
to gallop.
In a few minutes she was
back on the couch, bowl of popcorn in hand. She rested the bowl on her lap and
they stared at the screen as the movie came on.
Her eyes were focused on
the flickering images, but she didn't see or hear anything, as the mental
discussion continued.
'Just do it already.'
She ordered herself. 'Just do it. This is not wrong. It's not wrong.'
Gradually, she coached
herself into a semi-relaxed state of mind and her hand came to rest on his
knee. She felt the muscle tighten underneath and he turned to look at her. She
forced a nervous smile on her face while he simply looked at her.
'Do it.'
Before her mind could
finish issuing the order, her lips were pressed against his. It was an awkward
kiss that seemed to take him a little off guard.
'That was nice.'
She told herself, even though in the back of her mind she still wondered where
the butterflies were.
She didn't remember ever
having kissed a boy and not having her stomach turn in that frighteningly
delicious way. Well, except for Mathew Sternberg in the fifth grade. But he was
just disgusting and it had been a dare. With Angel, every single kiss had left
her breathless and giggling hysterically inside, no matter how innocent the
kiss.
Before she could finish
her mental dissertation, Parker was kissing her again. His hand was hooked
under her left ear bringing her mouth closer to his.
'Better.' She
tried to persuade herself as she parted her lips and deepened the kiss,
bringing her body closer to his.
Soon, she was straddling
his lap, his hands at her hips, hers slipping under his shirt.
"Are you
sure?" He asked, pulling away from her for a second.
'No.'
"Yes." She
breathed, leaning in to kiss him again.
They moved against each
other, her fingers weaved into his hair while his worked on the buttons of her
shirt, dismissing it to the floor once it came undone and concentrating on her
tanktop. It didn't stay on her body for too long though, it took only a couple
of minutes for the top, along with his own shirt and belt to be flipped over
the back of the couch.
Buffy felt a slight knot
in her throat as he buried his face between her breasts; nibbling at the tender
flesh there, while his hands worked on undoing her bra.
She froze when she heard
the clasp snap open. He didn't seem to realise the way her body had suddenly
tensed up, but as she brought her arms against her sides, not allowing him to
slide the bra off her he stopped and looked up at her.
"Is everything
ok?" He asked.
She hesitated and
eventually stuttered:
"Yeah,
e-everything's fine."
"If you want to
stop, it's ok." He assured her.
She smiled, feeling a
little relieved.
"I don't want to
stop." She breathed. "Can we just go to my bedroom?"
"Sure." He
smiled as she stood up, holding the bra against her chest with one hand and
holding the other one out to him.
He took it and the two
walked towards the corridor, leaving the discarded clothes and flickering TV
behind.
Buffy gasped as they
toppled onto the bed and Parker's weight collapsed onto hers. Her eyes were
closed, her mouth partially open while his lips trailed down the column of her
neck.
She seemed to go through
the motions almost automatically. Her fingers glided over his bare shoulders,
giving him the chance to pull the bra off her and within a second his lips were
on her breast. Exhaling, she kept her eyes closed, slowly letting go as the
smell of alcohol coming from her own body seemed to strangely sooth her.
As she rolled her head,
her dishevelled hair brushed against her nose adding the sharp scent cigarettes
into the mix and suddenly she felt the fear and hesitation wash away being
replaced by heat and hunger for the unseen body hovering over her.
With a clouded mind, she
partially opened her eyes and gazed at the head working on her chest, but
instead of finding dark brown hair her hazy gaze found thick blonde locks. She
frowned at that, blinking a couple of times and soon the platinum was replaced
by brown just as Parker looked up:
"You ok?" He
asked.
With her eyebrows still
furrowed she nodded.
"Yeah. I'm
fine." She replied, swallowing hard as she watched Parker return to his
task.
She closed her eyes
again, forcing herself to relax and tried to erase the incident from her mind.
It was probably the alcohol playing tricks on her brain. She sighed as she felt
one hand worrying her nipple while the other descended to the buttons of her
jeans.
The lust inside her grew
as the scent of cigarettes and alcohol was intensified by her closed eyes. She
let herself get lost in the feeling and soon she had Parker on his back,
attacking his lips while her now bare legs straddled his waist - two pairs of
underwear being the only things separating them.
She felt the body
underneath her freeze, but she paid no attention to it, continuing her task as
a distant voice penetrated her hazy brain.
"Buffy..."
Instead of Parker's
voice, a thicker, sultrier one was heard and it just served to fuel her lust.
Her hand snaked between the two and reached for his crotch.
"Buffy..."
She moaned against his
skin.
"Buffy!"
At that she jumped. Her
eyes snapping open to find Parker under her.
"Someone's
here." The boy whispered.
She frowned.
"No. Harmony's at
her parents for the weekend."
"Well, I just heard
someone open a door."
"That can't-"
She stopped in mid
sentence as she heard keys jingle followed by complete silence as the TV was
turned off.
"Harmony?"
"You better check
it out." He whispered.
She nodded and stood up.
Suddenly, embarrassment flooded her mind and one of her hands flew to cover her
bare chest while the other reached for the robe that was flung over the chair.
"I-I'll be right
back." She replied, putting on the robe and tying it around her waist.
She carefully walked
barefoot across the corridor, brushing her hair down and behind her ears. She
hesitantly stepped into the living room to find a duster-clad Spike holding her
tank top by one of its strings.
"What are you doing
here?" She asked with almost instant annoyance.
He seemed a little
startled at first, turning to look at her. They fixed each other's gaze for a
few seconds before he dangled the tank top from his finger and
disdainfully dropped it back on the floor.
"So Mr. Sensitivity
finally wormed his way between your legs, huh?" He asked, narrowing his
eyes and putting on a sneer.
She was shocked by his
harsh bluntness at first. She tried to ignore the embarrassment that caused the
blood to rush to her cheeks and calmly repeated:
"What are you doing
here?"
He stared at her for an
extra second, pushing his lips together, emphasizing his sharp bone structure
as he began to walk around the couch:
"Came to see Harm.
She in her room?" He said nonchalantly.
"No." She
answered stepping in front of him and blocking his path towards her roommate's
bedroom.
Tilting his head he
looked down at her.
"Well, someone's been
out on the piss."
"What?"
"You stink of cheap
liquor, luv." He explained.
Buffy instinctively
recoiled at that, dropping her gaze.
"That how he got
you to give it up? Getting you sloshed? Shame." He tsked shaking his head.
"Thought he'd come up with something a tad less pathetic than that. Maybe
play the 'I'm an emotional wreck and you're the only one who understands me.
Now can we please shag' card." Dropping his shoulder and sighing he
mumbled: "Well, I guess you were more desperate than I thought."
She seemed frozen to the
floor, just standing there as he walked past her, letting his words sink in.
"She's not here, so
you can just leave." She suddenly spoke, turning on her heels. She
swallowed hard as she felt the bile crawl up to her throat. She wouldn't sink
to his level.
"Not home?" He
asked, turning to face her.
"No. She went home
for the weekend." She walked over to the front door as she spoke, opening
it. "So you can leave."
He took his time making
his way towards her. But instead of exiting the apartment he stopped in front
of her.
"She didn't tell me
she was going home for the weekend."
"Well, she did. Now
please-"
"You have any idea
why she decided to up and leave?" He cut her off.
"I have no idea.
Now please leave." She growled as she watched a smirk tugging at his lips.
"That anxious to
get back to loverboy?" One scarred eyebrow rose high on his forehead.
"Is he actually good in the sack or are you just that needy?"
'Ok, that's it. To
hell with taking the high road.'
"You know what?
Come to think about it, she did mention something about not *getting* what she
needed here." Buffy's gaze suggestively dropped to his crotch. Spike's
brows furrowed at that. "She thought she might *get it* somewhere
else." A malicious smile spread over her lips when she finished her
sentence; her hand abandoning the doorknob so she could cross her arms in
triumph.
His eyes narrowed
dangerously at her, but she held her chin up high.
"I knew you were
nothing but a spoiled little girl Summers, but I never thought you'd be stupid
enough to fall for that idiot's tricks." He hissed after a few seconds.
"Yeah?! Well, at
least I'm getting some, which is more than I can say about poor Harmony."
She snapped.
Maybe it was the rage
blinding her, or maybe he was just that fast, because the next thing she knew
the front door was slammed shut and she was pressed up against it; angry blue
eyes staring back at her from only a few inches away. The sound of the door
banging seemed to perpetuate in the sudden silence that took over the room.
"You are..."
He spoke slowly, his voice low and raw. "... the single..." He tone
rose as each word came out. "...most aggravating-"
"A-and you're the
rudest, most annoying-" Buffy spoke up with equal fervour from her
claustrophobic position.
"...obnoxious..."
"...irritating..."
"...insufferable..."
"...primitive..."
Their voices rose as
they spat out insults in each other's faces.
"...spoiled little
brat..."
"...pathetic excuse
for a bad boy."
"... that I've ever
met." He finished.
"I hate you!"
She growled, breathless, staring him right in the face.
"Oh, believe
me." He hissed "It's mutual."
They remained silent for
a few seconds, the sound of them both pulling harsh breaths in and out of their
lungs being the only thing disturbing the stillness. And then suddenly, his
mouth was on hers, his body slammed against hers, roughly pressing her against
the wood.
She was stunned for a
second but her body quickly seemed go on autopilot as her lips parted, letting
his tongue push inside to deepen the kiss.
He moved erratically,
tilting his head sideways, pushing against her, attacking her mouth while his
hands possessively held her hips towards his.
Her mind was a bundle of
jumbled thoughts, shouting at her to stop, telling her that it was wrong,
asking her to think about Harmony. But her body had a different opinion. Her
stomach turned quickly, her heart raced at a frightening pace, her lungs stung
with the need for air but she didn't seem to remember how to breathe.
Their tongues battled
feverously, pushing against one another, mimicking their bodies. Muffled gasps
and stifled moans reached Buffy's ears when she suddenly lost all contact with
him. Her eyes snapped open to find a winded Spike pulling harsh breaths into
his lungs.
She watched as his left
hand ran through his hair before coming back to rest over his lips. As she
stared into his eyes she could pinpoint the exact moment in which the confusion
and raw emotions were completely engulfed by the rational side of his mind. He
stood up straight.
"Sorry." Was
the only word he mumbled, opening the door and causing her to stumble forward
as he left the apartment.
Buffy was left standing
there, still a little breathless, her gaze blindly staring at the closed door.
'What was that?'
Her mind asked.
After a few seconds she
managed to snap out of it, but she was still a bit dazed. Her fingers curled
against the edges of her robe, pulling it tighter around herself while she
stumbled her way towards the couch. She sat down and pulled her legs against
her chest, resting her chin on her knees. She remained in that position for a
long time. How long she couldn't tell.
~+~
"Buffy..."
She furrowed her brow at
the sound of her name and the feel of a hand on her shoulder, lightly shaking
her into awareness.
"Buffy..."
With some effort she
opened her eyes. The harsh light coming from the ceiling stung and she was
forced to blink a couple of times before she was able to identify the shadowy
figure knelt before her.
"Parker? What are
you doing here?" She opened and closed her dry mouth a couple of times as
she sat up.
"I should be asking
you that. You came out here to check on the noise and never came back."
Strong hands gripped her
hips while a hungry tongue pushed inside her mouth.
She felt a pang in her
chest at the flashing memory.
"Oh... right. How
long was I gone?" She asked, brushing her hair into place and glancing at
the half naked boy crotched before her. He was shirtless, wearing only his
jeans and shoes.
"About an hour. I
was getting worried." Parker replied.
"Sorry." She
breathed sleepily.
"It's ok. So, who
was it?" Parker asked.
His body was pressed
hard against hers, his leg pushing between hers.
"Buffy?"
She shook her head and
snapped her unfocussed gaze back to him.
"It was a friend of
Harmony's." She replied, trying hard not to remember the kiss.
"And she had the
key?"
"What?"
"The key. We heard
someone come in." Parker explained.
"Right." She
nodded. For some reason his questions were really starting to annoy the hell
out of her. "Look, Parker, I'm really tired can we just talk some other
time?" She said a little too harshly.
"Oh!" He said
surprised. After a few seconds Parker's lips pushed together for a pathetic
attempt at a smile. "Sure. I-I'll just get dressed."
She watched as he walked
around the couch and picked up his clothes.
"I'm really
sorry." She finally spoke as guilt started creeping in.
"It's ok." He
replied unconvincingly.
She sighed and stood up
when he was fully dressed.
"I'll make it up to
you. I promise." She assured him as she walked over to the front door.
"I'm just really tired."
"I
understand." He mumbled sadly, standing at the entrance to the apartment.
"Night."
He leaned in and planted
a kiss on her lips. His hand wrapped around her waist in an attempt to deepen
it, but she awkwardly pulled away.
"Night." She
replied in a low voice, closing the door.