Buffy's feet pounded the pavement as she headed home towards her apartment. She hadn't planned any further than going to Tomb and seeing Spike, but hell that plan had been scuppered and she didn't know what to do next.
Once again she thought about calling Dawn but dismissed it.
Ignoring the lift she took the stairs two treads at a time. She felt like she was running to him but obviously he wasn't going to be there. Who knew where he was now. She couldn't rule out the possibility that he'd skipped town, decided that it was time to drift off to somewhere else and forget the crazy girl that he might have feelings for given the chance.
Buffy tried to make her head make sense. This wasn't some overblown love story where she'd run to the station and catch him just in time before he left. That never happened in real life and she should know, she'd had that movie moment with Reily but hadn't managed to make it there in time. Which was probably a blessing in disguise but hey still it would have been good to kiss for closing credits, have a fond romantic memory to look back on.
She approached her front door, quickly running out of steam. The only way this day was going to end was with her sat on the couch with a big glass of wine and a box of tissues. And then she saw the flowers.
It was like a fairytale. There lying on her door mat was the biggest bunch of flowers she'd ever seen. Buffy stepped closer slowly as If she was scared they might bite her. Her forehead scrunched when she got close realising they were fake. Sure they were a real good fake, probably silk or something, but still fake.
'Who the hell gives you fake flowers' she muttered as she scooped them into her arms.
Turning the key in the lock she pushed them. door open and dropped her bag. She pulled the bouquet close to her face trying to inhale a scent that clearly wouldn't be there. She detached the card and flipped it open.
'Sorry they're not real but I didn't know when you'd be back. I quit like I said I would. Call me if you want to'
She almost felt her heart skip a beat. He hadn't left. He wanted her to call him. He'd left her flowers!
Buffy set the flowers down on the counter top, not noticing that she'd already begun to pace and that her breathing was heavy, laboured almost. He wanted her to call him. She grabbed for her phone and then stared down at it. She didn't have his number. She reached back for the card flipping it over, no number.
She knew where he lived she could go there. Well she knew what apartment block he lived in but she'd been in such a rush to both get there and leave the one time that she'd been there that she couldn't remember what number it was, or even what floor it was on.
"That's not gonna work." She huffed still holding the phone. "Come on Buffy this is so not the hardest mystery you've ever solved."
—-
Dawn smiled when she opened the text from Buffy.
'Send me Spikes number'
Ok so it was pretty abrupt but she knew that a text like that from Buffy could only mean one thing. She wanted Spike. Hopefully not in the 'I'm actually going to kill him' way and more in the 'I've just realised what an idiot I am' way.
Like the dutiful sister she was Dawn wasted no time in replying.
—-
Buffy looked down at her phone as if pressing the buttons might burn her. If she did this now there was no turning back. If she called him and asked him to come over he would and there was a good chance that he'd never leave. So she had to be sure.
A big part of her was telling her not to be stupid, that this was dangerous and to stay well away. The other part of her was mocking her, the big bad Slayer scared of getting close to someone. She was a Slayer god damn it she wasn't meant to be scared of anything but here she was scared to call someone. But this wasn't just someone and that was the problem.
Buffy sucked back as much air as her lungs could handle and let it again slowly. It was too late now anyway even if she didn't call him Dawn would tell him that she'd asked for his number and he'd turn up anyway. Her finger hit dial and she stood stock still listening to it ring for what felt like a life time.
"Ello?" Spike answered voice gruff and impatient.
"Spike?" She said quietly.
"Yeah."
"It's Buffy."
"Oh Buffy, you ok? What can I do for you?" His voice immediately became softer, the words slipping out smoothly. Charm flowing freely.
"Yeah I'm good. I wanted to, well I wanted to say thank you for the flowers, they're beautiful."
"You're welcome, only sorry they weren't real but you know I thought it might be a bit odd if you came home to find a bunch of dead flowers on your doorstep. Pretty creepy actually, or you'd think I'd stolen them from a grave yard or something." He laughed trying to sound casual when really he couldn't believe that she'd called him.
Buffy laughed too because yeah how ridiculous would it be that he'd ever think about stealing flowers from a grave yard. For a split second it was a sharp reminder of how much she'd have to hide from him if they went down this road but she swatted it away quickly. Fortune favours the brave after all.
"True, but it's doesn't matter they're beautiful all the same and they won't die in a week so plus points for getting value for money. Anyway I was just calling to see if you could come round, I wanted to talk to you about something." Her voice had gone quiet again as she tried to hide the fact that she was nervous.
"I'm already on my way pet." Spike said confidently as he hung up the call and strode down the street towards her apartment.
