Captain Cardboard
Riley felt like he had to vomit.
He had come back to Sunnydale to find a guy who was known as the 'doctor' and ended up finding his ex-girlfriend in bed with his mortal enemy.
'Hello Captain Cardboard' The vampire had grinned.
He ignored the nickname the bleached vampire had always given him, and couldn't keep his eyes of Buffy.
She felt ashamed and tried to hide her naked body under the covers.
The naked body that had been in his bed for so long, and out of it way too long.
He turned around and walked out of Spike's crypt. He needed some air, but somehow he couldn't breath.
He felt her presence before he even heard her footsteps.
'Riley'
Her hand touched his arm.
He suppressed the urge to run away and turned round to face her.
'Buffy'
He couldn't avoid the hurt sounding through in his voice.
She tried to come up with an explanation but he shook his head.
'It doesn't matter Buffy. I ran away a year ago. I don't deserve any explanation'
There were tears in her eyes and he tried hard to think of something besides whiping away those tears and kissing her.
'My mother died Riley'
Her words shocked him, but before he could offer her his condoleances she continued
'and I died as well to save the world from an Apocalypse. Willow tried to get me back, but when I came back I felt dead. Spike made me feel alive'
She kept staring at the ground. He didn't know what to do, so he did the first thing that came to his mind.
He pulled her close and captured her mouth in a kiss. For one second it was perfect, and her hands were already in his hair when he pulled back.
'I'm sorry. You're involved'
He tried to walk away but she wouldn't let him.
'No I'm not. I never loved Spike. I couldn't. Not after you left'
She looked up with tears in her hazel eyes.
'When you went away you took my heart with you. I love you Riley Finn'
He was shocked beyond words now. She loved him? When he had left with the helicopter and she hadn't come to say goodbye he was positive she didn't love him. Hadn't loved him at all. And all his days in Belize he had run over every meeting with her in his head, trying to find a little clue that she might have loved him after all.
'I know I never told you that, but I was afraid. When I told Angel I loved him he left me. I thought I could make you stay by not telling you I loved you.'
His thoughts were tumbling round in his head. When he spoke his voice was shaky.
'But.why didn't you come to the helicopter?'
The moment he saw the look in her eyes he understood. She had come. She just had been too late.
'I yelled your name time and time again.I couldn't speak for a whole week.'
He saw the tears welling up in her eyes and took her into his arms once more.
'Sssh' he whispered 'things will be okay.I'm here now. I won't go.'
And he knew it was true. He couldn't go. Not now he knew that the girl who always had his heart loved him back. He gazed into her hazel eyes and kissed her softly. He was finally where he belonged.
Riley felt like he had to vomit.
He had come back to Sunnydale to find a guy who was known as the 'doctor' and ended up finding his ex-girlfriend in bed with his mortal enemy.
'Hello Captain Cardboard' The vampire had grinned.
He ignored the nickname the bleached vampire had always given him, and couldn't keep his eyes of Buffy.
She felt ashamed and tried to hide her naked body under the covers.
The naked body that had been in his bed for so long, and out of it way too long.
He turned around and walked out of Spike's crypt. He needed some air, but somehow he couldn't breath.
He felt her presence before he even heard her footsteps.
'Riley'
Her hand touched his arm.
He suppressed the urge to run away and turned round to face her.
'Buffy'
He couldn't avoid the hurt sounding through in his voice.
She tried to come up with an explanation but he shook his head.
'It doesn't matter Buffy. I ran away a year ago. I don't deserve any explanation'
There were tears in her eyes and he tried hard to think of something besides whiping away those tears and kissing her.
'My mother died Riley'
Her words shocked him, but before he could offer her his condoleances she continued
'and I died as well to save the world from an Apocalypse. Willow tried to get me back, but when I came back I felt dead. Spike made me feel alive'
She kept staring at the ground. He didn't know what to do, so he did the first thing that came to his mind.
He pulled her close and captured her mouth in a kiss. For one second it was perfect, and her hands were already in his hair when he pulled back.
'I'm sorry. You're involved'
He tried to walk away but she wouldn't let him.
'No I'm not. I never loved Spike. I couldn't. Not after you left'
She looked up with tears in her hazel eyes.
'When you went away you took my heart with you. I love you Riley Finn'
He was shocked beyond words now. She loved him? When he had left with the helicopter and she hadn't come to say goodbye he was positive she didn't love him. Hadn't loved him at all. And all his days in Belize he had run over every meeting with her in his head, trying to find a little clue that she might have loved him after all.
'I know I never told you that, but I was afraid. When I told Angel I loved him he left me. I thought I could make you stay by not telling you I loved you.'
His thoughts were tumbling round in his head. When he spoke his voice was shaky.
'But.why didn't you come to the helicopter?'
The moment he saw the look in her eyes he understood. She had come. She just had been too late.
'I yelled your name time and time again.I couldn't speak for a whole week.'
He saw the tears welling up in her eyes and took her into his arms once more.
'Sssh' he whispered 'things will be okay.I'm here now. I won't go.'
And he knew it was true. He couldn't go. Not now he knew that the girl who always had his heart loved him back. He gazed into her hazel eyes and kissed her softly. He was finally where he belonged.