A couple of fledgling vamps dusted later, Buffy was just bored and unsatisfied.
"Pretty quiet night." William shoved his hands in his jean pockets, sans duster, discouraged.
"Thank you, captain obvious." Buffy huffed and Spike growled with her, just as, if not more, grumpy at the low level of demon activity.
William had an idea, glancing at his twin, and removing his hands from his pockets, he vamp sped to slap Spike in the back of the head. Spike glared at his double but raised an eyebrow intrigued.
"Come on! Chip or not. We can hit each other, bruv."
Buffy tilted her head, this could get interesting, she thought and crossed her arms to watch.
Spike smirked, "Oh William." is all he said, threateningly, before he tackled him with ease.
Buffy's eyes widened. Their speed was incredible, each blow, punch, fluid kick, lunge. Like a dance, she hopped up on the nearest gravestone for a front-row seat.
William was in his t-shirt, Spike in the usual long coat, so it was clear whose limbs were striking who and as she followed the spar between the two vampires, she felt like she was learning. He used so many different manners of fighting skills, interchangeably, it was such a sight to see.
She wondered a second if the two knew what the others' attack would be, you know, before they made it, of one mind and all… but she shook that thought when Spike definitely took the lead, now gripping William in a deadly headlock.
"Spikey!?" A high-pitched voice stopped Spike in his tracks.
Lessening the hold he had on William just slightly, stopping the fight, he glared as Harmony came over to them. Buffy jumped off the gravestone, not wanting to have another chat with her high school "friend".
William pushed his head back into Spike's nose fiercely, rolling his shoulders and fully escaping the stronger demon's grasp. Spike's hands went up to his face out of instinct, since William just broke his nose, but he was fine.
Harmony's mouth opened wide, "You have a twin?! How did I NOT know this." she stamped her foot like a child.
Spike and William shared a look, their spar over, no harsh feelings, commiserating that Harmony was certainly not the brightest bulb.
Her hands were instantly on Spike's chest, "Oh blondie bear, are you hurt? How about we go back to your place." She tried to act sexy, but it just seemed garish.
William rolled his eyes, knowing Spike's slight frown told him everything his double felt, but also that Spike would most certainly go off with her. Never one to turn down a sure thing, even if it wasn't what he truly wanted.
"You should come with us too, twin Spike!" Harmony, baby voiced and reached out for William. He easily swept around and away from her.
"Not happenin', pet."
Buffy blinked, urg Harmony was expecting a Spike sandwich? She shook her head, she hadn't thought about it either...till now... she mentally chastised herself at the thought of Spike (two Spike's omg) naked. Perplexed as to why William said no to it.
Harmony pouted but soon forgot all about him as Spike picked her up bridal style, she giggled. He nodded with a tilt of his head to his double and a slight smirk to the Slayer before he walked off towards his crypt with the annoying young vampire in his arms.
"Well, I guess that means I should find a place for the day."
Buffy kicked at the grass a bit, a thought came over her all of a sudden, and she turned from William to start walking, so it didn't seem like such a big deal for her to ask, "You could... sleep in our basement... if you wana."
William paused, watching her walk away for a beat, did she just offer that? Then he perked up and fell in step with her. They were clearly heading out of the cemetery now.
"You'd be alright with that?" He was quite shocked, had he been whole Spike, even more so.
"Well... come on, don't make it a thing." She exasperated, "Mom will prob be happy to see you. If you wanted to make an appearance for breakfast, probably Dawnie before school too."
William smiled, a genuine smile at her, Buffy was a marvelous person. She didn't always show it to him, the whole vampire/mortal enemy thing and all, but maybe since the split… Maybe she was seeing him in a better light now.
Buffy was happy with her decision to invite him over, feeling a weight, she hadn't known was there, lifted. "How come you didn't wana boink Harmony?" She giggled at her bluntness and he chuckled back.
"Harmony is a dolt. Spike knows it too." He included his double because it was certain they both were unhappy with her as a companion.
William put his hands in his pockets again, feeling the loss of his duster, trying to keep his wording proper enough to tell it true without exaggerating, "She's just been around... Get's lonely, you know?"
Buffy frowned a bit, she never thought of Spike as lonely, but she guessed he had to be. Crazy Drusilla left him after a hundred something years, even after he took care of her all that time. And before that, she knew from some stories Angel had told, when she begged for stories of his past, he had no friend in Angelus or Darla.
She shivered remembering how Angel probably tortured Spike, her mind filling in the blanks of his tales, when he most definitely left stuff out or sugar-coated them. Even though they'd both been soulless demons at the time, it still seemed extremely unfair and cruel.
"Besides," William's voice and the view of her house down the street broke Buffy out of her thoughts, "There's someone else I'm interested in, just dunno if they could like me back."
His small smile to the ground at the thought of this 'someone' warmed her heart. Her eyes alit, happy he seemed to be moving on finally from Drusilla and Harmony for that matter.
"That's great! Honestly! Sometimes I think crushin' on someone turns out more fun than the let down they turn out to be." Buffy clasped her hand over her mouth, eyes wide, realizing what she had just said, out loud to William… but still Spike.
She couldn't believe what she just admitted, especially after he saw her with Riley just that night. They stood on the Summers' front porch side by side.
"It's alright, luv. I understand what you meant." He'd leave it at that, didn't want to make her feel worse than she already did. Although internally, he thought, what a great confirmation, he knew that Riley was no match for her. Stupid cardboard idiot.
Buffy's hand slid off her face, pleasantly surprised William wouldn't press her for anything else or jibe her into embarrassment. Her hand unlocked the door and let herself in first. William tested the door boundary and found it open to him.
"One in the same," he whispered since Spike was already invited, he was too.
She gave him a lopsided smile and walked to the kitchen, her mom and Dawn already upstairs and asleep. "There are sheets for the cot on the shelves down there, I'll put them on for ya."
William waved his hand at her, preventing her from entering the basement yet, "No need, luv. I can manage."
They stood so close now in the dim kitchen night light, "Probably be awake a few hours more... and now. I realize," He shook his head, patting down his chest and pockets lightly, "I left my smokes in my duster at the magic shop."
Buffy huffed out a little giggle, it did give him a different demeanor, being in a simple black tee and jeans. That jacket was synonymous in her mind with 'big bad', she guessed.
"Hot chocolate?" She offered.
His eyes squinted with the smile but shook his head, looking back to the girl he was infatuated with, her hair shining even in the darkness. He breathed out an unnecessary breath, "I wouldn't mind another fight to be honest."
He audibly heard Buffy sigh in relief, it was way too late for her to be having so much sugary goodness since she did have one class midday tomorrow and it would keep her up all night.
"I'm in." She said, immediately taking off her hoop earrings and placed them on the counter before reaching for the back door.
William and her now in the backyard, secluded from the neighbors and it was already midnight, who'd be looking now? She went after him first. Both of them were smiling, excited for the spar.
"Don't hold back on me," he growled at her when she clearly weakened her backhand.
"But you can't hit me without the chip goin' off." She pouted but still landed a regular kick to his thigh.
"I don't need to hit you to win, especially if you're gonna be this sloppy about it." He reached for her ankle as she tried another kick to her actual aim of his chest.
Pushing her foot back, no harm, no chip jolt. Perfect, he thought, grinning mischievously.
Buffy narrowed her resolve, this spar would end in her favor.
Dawn yawned and pouted, she heard voices. Sliding out of her covers, she plodded to the window which overlooked the backyard.
Rubbing more sleep from her eyes, she watched Buffy and Spike skirmish and laugh with each other. Her hand fell to her cheek, leaning over the windowsill, as she dreamily watched her sister flirt/fight with the bleached vampire.
The teen smiled, slid her long hair over her shoulders, and stood up, climbing back into bed. Buffy deserved a little relaxation she thought as she drifted back off to sleep.
TBC! Hope you like it so far!
Let me know what you think about it in a review?