Kay, so I'm aware that when it comes to updates, some may find me slow. However, with this one, I've got ideas for the long-term, so the short term's a little bit more trying. The stuff in later chapters will be quick...I hope...
The trio sat, lounging and gazing at the sun-filled garden in front of them, while they were safely consumed by the shadows of shelter.
"You don't remember it at all?" Spike turned his head to Buffy.
"Not at all," she shook her head.
"Well, you drank willingly," Angel assured both of them, "Or else you wouldn't be here."
"So, you can't, like, rape-sire someone?" Buffy furrowed her brows.
"No," Spike told her, "The human has to want it on some level or another or it wouldn't take." He lit up a cigarette and inhaled on it. "Of course most people wouldn't mind being eternal and almost indestructible with only a moment to think about it."
"Yeah, I guess not," she considered. She stared at Spike for a moment, narrowed her eyes, then ventured, "So, explain to me how you can smoke without breathing."
He paused, then turned to her, smirking, "How long've you been wanting to ask me that?"
"Pretty much since the day I met you," she smiled, "But you were all evil, and I felt it would be kind of awkward."
"You don't need to breathe," Angel cut in. "Doesn't mean you can't."
"Ah," Buffy nodded. Then she narrowed her eyes and turned to Spike, "Hey, let me try one of those."
"Well, then," Spike happily pulled out a cigarette for Buffy.
"What? No, Buffy, don't smoke," Angel winced.
"Why not?" she shrugged and took the cigarette Spike offered.
"Because it's disgusting," Angel said.
"Mmm, but all the cool kids are doin' it," Spike smiled. Buffy laughed with him and placed the cigarette in her mouth.
"Buffy, don't," Angel continued to plead. "You'll get addicted."
"So?" Buffy mumbled, as Spike leaned in and light her cigarette.
"So…oh! You're teeth'll turn yellow!" Angel pointed to her triumphantly.
Buffy simply closed her eyes and inhaled. She could feel her lungs filling with air. She felt completely connected to her body. Then, she opened her eyes, took the cigarette out, and exhaled, watching her breath leave her mouth and travel into the sunlight. She felt comforted and alive. And then there was the hacking cough.
"Wow, that's glamorous," Angel said sarcastically to Buffy as she held her hand over her mouth.
"Well," Buffy retorted once she recovered, "I don't have to look at my teeth, ever."
Spike and Buffy laughed together, as Angel crossed his arms over his chest.
"Plus," Buffy held up a finger, "Spike's been smoking for years, and his teeth aren't yellow."
"No," Angel agreed, "Spike's a special case. The disgusting yellow color went to his hair instead."
Buffy and Spike, again, started laughing, and, eventually, Angel gave in, too. "Oh, my God," Buffy smiled and held up a hand to Angel, "That was awesome."
Angel, happy to have been laughed at, high-fived his newest Childe.
"Wow," Buffy looked to Spike, "I didn't know he knew how to be funny."
Spike shrugged, "Neither did I, luv."
"It's kind of new," Angel admitted.
"Well, I like it very much," Buffy smiled at him.
"Well, then, I'll try to perfect the craft," Angel matched her smile.
Buffy took another drag on her cigarette, and, this time, was able to inhale and exhale without coughing. "I can't believe it," she spoke candidly.
"Can't believe what?" Spike didn't want to start being serious again and pretended not to know what she was talking about.
"I just…" she tried to form the right words in her head. "Forever…it's so long."
Angel nodded, "That it is."
"I'm gonna see everything."
Spike smirked, "All the hair, all the clothes."
"A cure for cancer," Buffy pondered.
"The end of the world," said Angel, then turned to them, "The real one, I mean."
"Wow," she shrugged, "I feel kind of-"
"Strange?" Angel guessed.
"No, actually, I feel kind of excited," she bit her lip," Is that bad?"
"Of course not," Spike told her, "Eternity should be pretty exciting."
They smiled for a moment in silence, until Buffy's stomach made a loud, gurgling noise, indicating to all of them her extreme hunger. She sighed, embarrassed, "'Kay, so I'm feeling just a bit peckish."
"Well, there's blood in the fridge," Angel had paused for a moment before reminding Buffy of this. He'd waited for only a moment with the slight hope that she would want to drink from him--become one with him--live off him.
"No, that's okay," she held a strong hand on his arm, and he sat back down. She put her cigarette out.
"Buffy, you have to eat something," Spike told her gently. This was the new arena for him--to have Buffy fully participate in the activities of his kind.
"Yeah, I know," Buffy didn't look away from Angel. "But I wanna be traditional." She smirked as Angel looked to her, happily questioning her.
"Traditional?" Spike was getting worried, "But…no, you-you have a soul."
Buffy and Angel were drawn out of their connection by this. They were eager to correct his mistake. "No, no, no," Buffy held a hand out to Spike. "I'm not going to kill people; I just want my first meal to be of the blood of my Sire…like it's supposed to be."
"Oh," he was visibly relieved. "So you're going to drink from…" Spike suddenly found the picture painted in his head to be a little disturbing.
"From Angel," Buffy finished for him.
"Right-right now?"
"Well, uh, sure," she turned to Angel, who shrugged in agreement.
"All right, then, I'm gonna leave," Spike stood in record speed.
"Leave? What? Why?"
"I just…this is a moment thing…for you two…" he tried.
"But I don't want you to be alienated," Buffy said.
"I won't be," Spike was getting desperate. "I'll just be elsewhere."
"But shouldn't we all be--"
"It's okay; I've never been big on watching, either," Angel smirked, understanding.
Spike nodded in gratitude and left. Buffy cringed, feeling bad for making him uncomfortable, "I just thought…you know…don't you guys like watching it?"
Angel looked at her wincingly.
"So, no?"
"No," he assured. "It's enjoyable to take part in, less to witness. I mean, do you like watching other people eat?"
Buffy shook her head, remembering a certain incident with Xander and too much cotton candy.
"Right. Well, same with us."
As she nodded in understanding, she realized how much she did not know about vampires. She knew everything about killing them, but, almost nothing about their day to day lives. There was a lot to learn.
"So, uh," Angel shrugged awkwardly. "You said you wanted to…"
"Yeah," Buffy blushed, "I mean, if you're okay with it--"
"I'm fine with it!" he insisted, looking very similar to a happy puppy.
She smiled at him and then bit her lip, not knowing how to approach the task ahead of her. "I don't really know how to..."
He leaned foreword, inhaling her scent as she inhaled his. "Change?" his voice was no more than a slow, easy whisper. She nodded and moved closer to him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Close your eyes." She did. He put a hand on the back of her head and gently moved it to his neck. She let his scent surround her. A warm feeling overcame her. She felt safe and cared for. Then her lip felt something strange. Her eyes shot open to see Angel's face in front of her own. She could feel her teeth's sharp edge. She could see more sharply. She could smell everything.
She smirked at him, "Hideous?"
He smiled and brought his face down to hers. Without saying a word, he kissed her. They got lost in their emotions, loving the feeling of being with each other. She pulled herself of top of him, straddling his legs, all the while continuing the kiss. Together they were a mess of teeth and tongues until the point when they were unsure which belonged to themselves and which belong to each other.
Finally, Buffy broke away to find Angel, also changed. She ran a hand through his hair and pulled herself against him. Her mouth was positioned at his neck, but she paused.
"It's okay," he encouraged her, tilting his head away from her to give her easier access to his vein. "Go ahead."
Buffy swallowed hard, made ravenous by the smell of blood. She dipped her head down, opening her mouth so that her teeth scraped his skin. Then, carefully, she plunged her teeth down into Angel's neck. The blood started to pour immediately. Her mouth was filled with the copper taste. It was stinging but filling. She gulped eagerly, holding Angel's head tightly against her own.
Angel ran a calming hand down Buffy's back to help her relax. He tried to remember the first time he drank blood, the grave digger. It was rush and frightening, but it gave him such a miraculous high. Buffy bit in deeper. "Shh," he stroked her hair.
The sound of Angel's voice brought her back to reality. Her eyes opened with a start, and she released her teeth from Angel's neck. He sighed and looked at her. They shared a glance for a moment. He smiled at her, letting her know it was okay. She smiled back, changing back to her human face. There was a line of blood running down from her mouth.
He rubbed it off with his thumb. She held onto his hand, and he offered the blood on his finger to her. She took it, gratefully.
Buffy tried to think of a mature way to articulate the phenomenon, but could only come up with was, "That was good."
Angel laughed lightly. He brushed a finger on her cheek. They both smiled gently. Buffy had drunken blood, and the world still turned. Her life had ended, and the sun still rose.
Everything was different, but they were the same.
Coming up?
Buffy and her friends/family. Connor meets Buffy and Spike; Buffy and Spike meet Connor.
