Author Note – June 2018: I've just re-edited this. Below is the updated version.

One Shot

"I can't do this," said Buffy. "Not now."

"What?" Riley replied, pulling on her arm to get her to face him again. "That doesn't make any sense. Buffy, doesn't my status as demon killer make things easier for us to be together?"

"No," she said.

"Why?"

Buffy sighed, wishing he would just let it go. "Because I want something normal. Need normal. You can't mix Slaying with relationships. You just can't!"

Riley studied her for a moment. "Something tells me that reaction's about a bit more than just me."

She looked away.

"Buffy?" he prompted, "What is it?"

When she looked in his eyes again, hers were damp with tears. He moved to wipe them but she pulled away before he could get close enough.

"My, uh…" she began. "My first boyfriend. My last one – besides Parker, I mean. My only proper boyfriend…"

Riley tilted his head, clearly confused but wanting to hear more. "What, Buffy? What could be so bad about him that you're acting like this?"

She took a breath, then said, "He was a demon hunter. It made things complicated. He…" the first tear broke free and tumbled down her cheek where she roughly scrubbed it away. "He left me; said I deserved normal. It's what I should be looking for."

Riley frowned. "Is that what you want, though?"

Buffy swallowed, her avoidance of the question answering it more fully than she ever could. After a minute she said, "Doesn't matter. You… You're not normal."

Riley went to respond, but she continued, "I mean, you're not an average Joe – not with what you do. But, at the same time, you're still too normal. Too…" she broke off, clenching her fists in frustration at having to explain all this. She didn't want to think about let alone use actual words.

"Human?" Riley finished for her. "Your last boyfriend – the other demon hunter – he was more than that, wasn't he?"

Buffy's eyes went wide. Had she been that obvious? "He was a vampire," she admitted, after a minute.

Riley visibly reeled at the confirmation. "But you – you're the Slayer!" he exclaimed, "You're supposed to fight them, Buffy!"

"It wasn't like that," she said. "He was different. He had a soul."

Riley shook his head, "Vampires can never be different."

"They can!" she protested. "Angel was different, and so is–"

Buffy clamped her mouth shut but it was too late, she'd already said too much and given herself away. Riley jumped on the slip.

"So is who?" he pressed. "You trying to tell me there's another vampire running around with a soul?"

Buffy found herself unable to look at him again, worrying the edge of her shirt as she forced herself out of denial. "No," she said, finally. "No other vampire with a soul, but…"

Riley threw up his hands. "God, Buffy, spit it out!"

She glared at him then, defiantly. If he was gonna force her into this conversation, she would spit it out all right, but it wasn't gonna make him like it any better.

"There's another vampire I know," she said. "Not with a soul, but with a heart. He's different, too."

Riley rolled his eyes. "All vampires have hearts."

"No," said Buffy, feeling her frustration rise again and threaten to overwhelm her. "I mean, yes, they do. But, like I said, he's different."

"You're talking about Spike, aren't you?"

Buffy blinked, suddenly surprised and furious with herself. Either she was broadcasting her feelings a lot more than she realized or Riley was super good at reading her.

"Doesn't take a genius to figure out," he said, as if he'd read her thoughts and wanted to absolve his intuitive skills of any credit. "Spike's the only demon around here you'd give refuge to; save the life of. Hell, with him around, I don't stand a chance, do I?"

"It's not like that," said Buffy. "We…" she shook her head. "I could never be with Spike."

"Because you're the Slayer."

"Yeah."

"But you know he's what you need."

Again, Buffy blinked; both at the blunt delivery of the statement and the way it made her stomach flip. "I never said–"

Interrupting her, Riley continued, "You need someone who can give you what a man can, but can be more than that, too. We've covered how normal just won't cut it where you're concerned, and it never will."

Still kind of stunned, Buffy said, "Riley, I–"

He held up a hand, halting her speech again. "Why don't we just leave it there? You being apprehensive about dating me because of what I do is one thing, but you wanting someone who I can never be, that's something else. I… I can't believe I'm saying this but, Buffy, go and find Spike if that's what'll make you happy."

The tears in the Slayer's eyes almost resurfaced at that. She was through lying to herself. Hearing it out loud cemented within her what she'd known for a while – that, crazy as it sounded, being with Spike would make her happy. She was conflicted by something else, though; worries about whether he'd want her or not.

Well, she thought, firmly pushing those worries aside, I have to try. I can't give up on happiness without trying.

And just like that, her mind was made up. With a parting nod, she walked away from Riley; then started running. The closer she got to Spike's crypt, the less she was able to contain herself. Throwing the door open, she stomped in and over to him, not caring how it looked.

Pressing her lips hungrily to his, she got her answer when his mouth moved in unison with hers, without reservation. Eventually, she pulled back for air and looked at him. He was searching her eyes with his own.

"You want me," she said, not sure if it was a question or not.

Again, without any hesitation, he replied, "I always want you," before capturing her lips with his again.

That was the moment Buffy knew they were always meant to be. Slayer and Vampire: destined.