I Told You Beer Was Bad!!
Disclaimer: I still don't even have pocket lint. Someday maybe I'll be rich. But for now all these lovely people still belong to Joss.
Rating: PG for Spike's imagination.
A/N: Scatterbrain Girl, I don't know where any of Spike's ramblings came from. I just put my fingers on the keyboard and the words appeared on the screen. Which is what happened here, fingers on keyboard and words just appeared. She must have really needed to vent. Slaykitten91, Here's your sequel. Hope you like it. Buffy is really hard for me to write as I don't like her. She was such a flaming bitch to Spike that in my little universe she's nicer to him. That's why so much of it still comes from Spike's perspective.
Feedback: As always go ahead, it seems to inspire my muse to bop me on the head. Please no flames, can't handle the thought of being dust. Constructive criticism is always welcome.
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It was a night like any other; Buffy had finished her patrol and then met her friends at the Bronz for some fun and to let off some slaying steam. Xander was Payday Man and kept buying rounds of beer for his finally legal to drink friends. Willow and Tara were dancing to all the slow songs and Anya was not so graciously sharing the dancing with Xander privileges with Buffy. Buffy was feeling the 'nice floaty feeling' she'd heard Spike describe. The giggles were making the rounds of the small table but no one was quite sure what had started them. Buffy was wondering where Spike had gotten off to after patrol when she spotted him at the bar. His platinum blond head was like a beacon to her. She hesitated going over to him, as they hadn't really spoken much after his head injury had made him so talkative. He acted almost embarrassed about the whole thing. Sure, they still patrolled but after slaying some vampires and killing a few demons he high-tailed it back to his crypt without so much as a 'See you later.' Or at least a 'Sod off, Slayer.' Another slow song came on and all the lovebirds went out to the dance floor to enjoy it. She suddenly felt abandoned. Rising, she made her way over to the bar.
Through her haze, she noticed how Spike's lean, muscular body tensed up at her approach. She smiled. It was full of mischief, that smile. She slid up next to the sexy vampire, oh yes; she definitely thought he was sexy. Turning her back to the bar, she leaned up against it facing him.
"Hi Cutie."
He sighed. "Slayer." He sipped his beer and turned his blue gaze toward her. He smiled. "You're drunk." He said with more than a hint of glee.
She shook her head. "Nuh-uh. Just 'floaty'." She said. Buffy's green eyes were roaming over his lean frame. He was beginning to feel just a little nervous about the way she was eyeing him.
"Floaty huh?" Spike repeated. He vaguely remembered saying something similar to her that night he'd gotten his head bashed in. Truth be told, he didn't remember much of that night. He knew he'd done a lot of talking but for the unlife of him, he couldn't fathom what he'd said that had gotten her to lay down and sleep next to him. He did remember the leap of joy in his unbeating heart when he'd woken up next to her. He'd avoided spending too much time with her since then for fear he would have to admit he couldn't recall such a memorable event. He took another swallow of beer, stalling for time.
Buffy inched closer to Spike. She reached over and stole his cup. Keeping her eyes on him, she drank from it.
He took his drink back and put it on the counter. "You've had too much. I'm getting you out of here." He took her arm and steered her over to the small table Xander, Anya, Willow and Tara were seated around.
"Whelp, Glenda, Red, Demon." He greeted them all with their specific nicknames. He looked around. "Where's Little Bit?"
"Hi Spike." Anya said brightly.
Tara waved and smiled.
Willow also smiled. "Hi Spike. Dawnie's at home with Giles. How are you? Head all better?" She said in the rush that was pretty much how she always spoke.
Spike smiled down at her. "Yeah, Red. Head's all better." He liked the redheaded witch and her girlfriend. They were always pretty decent to him.
Xander scowled. "Spike. Let go of Buffy."
The vampire looked down at the tiny blonde next to him. He noted that he didn't have to let go of Buffy, but decided not to point it out. Somehow the holding part had gotten switched, he no longer held onto her arm. She had a death grip on his arm that would likely cause bruises. "Don't want to spoil your fun but the Slayer's had just a little too much. Thought I'd escort her home. Too easy for some wannabe Big Bad to try to hurt her, the shape she's in."
Xander stood up. "Look, Captain Peroxide, we brought her, we'll take her home."
Anya grabbed his arm and pulled him back into his seat. "I'm not ready to go. We haven't danced to our favorite song." She whined.
Willow noticed the hold Buffy had on Spike and hid a smile. "Xander, they patrol together almost every night. I think he can be trusted to see her home safely."
Buffy nodded. "Stay and have fun. I won't let him get out of line. I probably should go now."
Waving to her friends, she dragged her vampire out into the night. Outside, Spike shook off her hold on his arm. At least, he tried to. She wouldn't let go. Buffy hung on with an evil smile. She had her vampire and wasn't going to let him disappear so fast this time. He'd been like smoke in the week since that night in the crypt. Here one moment and gone the next as if he'd never been there. In her inebriated state, she didn't notice that she wasn't steering them toward her house but in the direction of his crypt.
Spike noticed. "Wait, Slayer. Wrong direction, you live this way." He tried to stop and turn her around. She wouldn't turn.
"Don't want to go home. Let's go to your place. Oh! We're already headed that way. Come on." She tugged hard on his poor abused arm. "I don't know why you've been avoiding me all week. You made me feel like you didn't want to be around me. I already feel like I'm not part of this world. Since they dragged me out of heaven I feel as if I don't quite belong here. They're all so happy I'm back. But this place is so hard. So loud. It's really quiet in your crypt. You know, you've made it really comfy lately. I remember thinking last week that you really like your creature comforts. I mean how many vampires have a refrigerator and a microwave? How many of the undead have TV's for God's sake? And a queen-sized bed! That bed is so comfy. And your sheets! I love satin sheets."
Bemused, Spike noticed they'd arrived at his crypt during her rant. Opening the door with his free arm, he guided her in. He sat her in his easy chair and pulled up a box to sit on. Before he sat down however, he went over to the shelf next to the refrigerator and picked up a box of cookies. "Buffy, do you want something to eat? How about a soda?" He tried to be a good host.
Her green eyes sparkled up at him. "Can I have a beer?" She asked sweetly.
He crumbled. Opening the old-fashioned refrigerator he got out one of the American beers he kept there for his friend Clem. Getting out an imported one for himself, he sat down opposite her. He opened hers and handed it to her. He opened his and took a long drink. He had the feeling he was going to need it.
"I don't know why your mother told you beer was evil. I think it's nice. Foamy, cold forgetfulness is what you have here. I know I told you that beer was bad but that was only because I got some once that was demon beer. It turned anyone who drank it into prehistoric people. I was 'cave Buffy' there for a while. You would have loved it. All primal and cavey. It was after you went away. After that ring of Amarra deal. Then you came back, you keep doing that. The whole coming back thing." Buffy was vaguely aware that she really shouldn't be talking but didn't know how to stop. "Why do you do that? Keep coming back, I mean?"
Spike was amused. His dark blue eyes sparkled as he watched his slayer tell him things she would be embarrassed to admit to. He wondered it this is what he'd treated her to when he was so out of it the week before. He could see a little 'I'll tell you if you tell me session' sometime in the future.
"I mean, really, what is it with people you love? Why are they always leaving? Drusilla left you. Angel left me. That hurt me so much. But I got better. I realized that if he didn't love me enough to try to make it work then I really didn't need him." She sipped her beer.
Spike's heart leapt at her words, but he kept silent.
"I mean, I still love him."
His heart sank and he looked down.
"But, not that way anymore. It's more like, you know, you always love your first love but you know you'll never be with them again so you just kind of put them away in a little box back in the corner of your heart."
His hopes rose and he looked up at her again.
"But they always leave. My dad left, Angel left, Riley left. Mom left, but she couldn't help it so I can't get mad at her. I mean I do sometimes. Get mad at Mom, I mean. It's hard raising Dawn. I love her and everything but I'm not Mom and I can't get her to do what she has to. But I understand that if she could, Mom would still be here."
Spike blinked back the tears that had sprung into his eyes. He'd loved Joyce. She had treated him kindly. She gave him hot chocolate with little marshmallows and listened when he needed someone to talk to about Dru.
Suddenly she got mad. Taking another swallow of beer, she started again. "Why do men always leave? What is so wrong with me that men don't want to stay? I mean, Angel was all soul boy and can't have any perfect happiness because of it but don't you think he could have at least tried to work it out? Riley, well he was just a weak wimp of an ego that couldn't take having a girlfriend stronger than he was. My dad left all of us; he was just so in denial that one of his precious daughters had a little bit of trouble. He couldn't handle any upheaval. I mean, jeeze, slayer here. Have to save the world. So what if I burn down a high school gym. The place was swarming with vampires. I thought I was pretty clever to kill them all in one fire. It's really hard to have any sort of an academic life when you're a slayer. Got to get schooling some how, but noooo. Can't do homework. Have to slay. It's a wonder I graduated. We did blow up the school that night though. That's the night Angel left me." She fell silent for a moment reflecting on the men who had disappointed her in the past.
Spike finished his beer and got up to get another one. The evening was turning into quite a revelation. Again he wondered just how revealing it had been last week.
Buffy waggled her empty can. "Spike, I'm empty. Bring me one too."
Resigned, he got her another. He sat back down and handed her the opened beer.
She took a long drink and started again. "Drusilla left you and made you unhappy. Before that you were happy with her, at least as happy as a vampire can be. What's wrong with her? Couldn't she see what she had?" Buffy leaned forward. She touched his face gently. She traced his features softly, running a finger down his cheek. Her thumb drifting across his bottom lip caused him to close his eyes in pleasure. He succumbed to impulse and pressed a kiss into her palm. "You are so beautiful." She sighed. "How could she leave?" He caught an unneeded breath.
"I mean, really, Oz left Willow, but she turned gay and I don't think I can do that. I just can't look at women that way. But she's really happy and that makes me happy for her. But, look at me. Don't I get to be happy? I was for a while but then I had to come back here." Tears welled up in her beautiful green eyes. "Why did they do that? Did you know they were going to?"
"No, Pet. I didn't know what they were doing. They kept me out of it. As much as I love having you back, they know I would have stopped them. It wasn't right. But now, I don't think I'd have the strength to stop them. I won't leave you and I don't want you leaving again." He drank a good portion of his fresh beer. "Luv, we need to get you home so you can sleep off this 'floaty feeling'." He said gently.
She shook her head, then held it. "Oh, can't do that. No head shaking. It makes the room all funny. You went a little fuzzy there for a minute. Can't I sleep here? Please, I don't want to go home. Home is hard. Willow and Tara will take care of Dawn. Please, Spike?"
Spike bit his lip. He was having a really hard time holding in his laughter. He didn't want to hurt her feelings by laughing. She was so adorable. He couldn't deny his slayer anything. "What? Can't wait to get into my comfy bed again?" He asked, with a leer.
Buffy swatted at him. But since he was all fuzzy again, she missed. She drank some more of her beer hoping it would make the fuzzies go away.
"Okay, Pet. But first we need to get down the ladder. Can you make it?" He put his beer on the floor next to the chair and stood up. He took her can and set it next to his own. Gently he took both her warm hands in his cool ones. "Up you get."
She swayed as she stood. "Oh, I changed my mind. Beer is bad."
Spike put his arm around her waist and steadied her. Slowly they walked over to the ladder leading down to the bedroom. He started down and waited for her to follow so he could catch her if she fell. Reaching the floor safely, he once again put an arm around her waist and led her to the bed. He made sure she was seated before turning to the dresser and getting out one of his clean black t-shirts. After a second thought, he reached into the next drawer and pulled out one of his silk button down shirts. Turning with both shirts in his hand he looked at his beautiful slayer. He couldn't believe she was here again.
"You want to get out of those clothes, Luv. Can't sleep too well that way." He motioned at her tight leather pants and halter-top she'd worn to the Bronz. He let her take her choice and put the rejected button down shirt away. He turned his back so she could change. His vampire hearing picked up every little rustle of fabric as she removed her top and replaced it with his t-shirt. Her boots hit the floor and then her pants slithered after them. Then the sound of her body sliding across satin sheets flooded his senses. He squeezed his eyes closed against the need surging through his body.
"Spike."
He turned and was happy he didn't need to breathe. Her dark lashes were drooping over her gorgeous eyes. Her blonde beauty against his red and black bedding was a sight he would hold in his mind forever. Again she repeated words he'd said to her last week.
"Care to join me?"
Spike walked over to the bed as if in a trance. He sat on the edge carefully. He took off his t-shirt and kicked off his boots and socks. Keeping his jeans on, he laid down on top of the comforter.
She giggled. "I don't bite." She whispered.
"Maybe so, but I might." His voice was a low growl.
"I know you love me. I'm not sure how I feel about you. I just know I don't hate you as much as I say I do. There's something. I just don't know what it is yet. I just know I don't want you to go away." Buffy's voice got softer with each word as she drifted off to sleep. "Don't leave me."
"Never." Was all he said before he too slid into sleep.
Finis.