Hi! Sorry for the late update! Anyway, I appreciate the support everyone has given me for this fic. It warms my heart so much that people are enjoying this story. I thank you so much. I also thank my beta, mcgnagallsarmy, For being so patient with me and for helping me with this. Without her help, this fic wouldn't be as good as it is. Well, I won't keep you any longer, here's a new chapter!
(O.O)
Spike had no idea what possessed him to invite her over, but it made him happy nonetheless.
Since the incident with Finn four days ago, the Slayer had been a tad nicer to him.
Oh, she still snarked, teased, and yelled at him, but she wasn't mean about it anymore. More often than not, she was cordial and treated him like a real person or a close acquaintance even.
Which for him was a novelty in itself.
Patrolling with her also made his evenings. He always loved watching her fight and being able to do that without the fear of being caught stalking her, was a gift.
He didn't want to botch it all up by giving the Slayer even a smidgen of an idea that he liked her. Inviting her over was nice, but it was also dangerous. It could give the daft bint a hint that he felt something for her, which he wasn't ready for.
He wasn't stupid. The girl may be nicer to him now, but she still saw him as the same evil, soulless vampire that tried to kill her once upon a long time ago. If she ever found out that he had a crush on her, God! He could only imagine what she'd do to him.
She'd probably lock me out of her life.
So Spike kept himself in check and was careful not to hint at his affection for her. He pretended to be mean and threw an insult or two her way. He'd criticize her fighting style, just so she wouldn't know that he watched and admired her every move.
All of that just so he could hide that he loved her.
Of course, there were times when he'd slip, and be nice to her by asking her how she was doing or by being extra vigilant in watching her back during patrol or like tonight, inviting her over to watch a movie.
He could see that the wheels in her head were turning and there was doubt and confusion in her eyes.
It scared him.
He really wanted to keep whatever this was that he had with her for as long as he could, but that wouldn't happen if he kept slipping up like tonight.
Spike let out a sigh as he took the popcorn out of the microwave. His guests were in charge of selecting the movie while he was in charge of the snacks.
Being away from her gave him the time to sort out his thoughts, but at the same time it gave him time to ponder what a complete idiot he was for inviting over the woman he was head over heels in love with for a movie at his place.
This night is going to be torture.
He just knew that he's going to be spending the rest of the evening being careful with his actions and watching his words and how he interacted with her, all the while wishing nothing more than to confess how he felt about her and promise her he'd be willing to do anything to make her happy.
He sighed again. This is going to be the longest two hours of his life.
Spike came back to his guests with the popcorn and drinks in his hands.
"So what movie are we watching?" he asked.
"I thought we'd watch something funny so I picked Twilight," Buffy said, sounding proud of herself.
The vampire, on the other hand, looked horrified.
"We are not watching that movie," he told her firmly.
"What? Why not?!"
"Because it's a travesty to all vampire movies! I am not willing to subject my friend to such rubbish."
"But it's funny," Buffy reasoned.
"No. It's disgusting. Sparkling vampires. Expressionless bint, who loves them. And a sad excuse for a werewolf who should've just asked the girl out while he had the chance. There is nothing good in that movie."
She smirked at this. "The fact that you know the characters enough to give a summary about their personalities just tells me that you watched the movie."
"I did and let me tell you that was 10 hours of my unlife that I will never get back."
"Drama king," she muttered, before pulling the disc out of its box.
"I said we are not watching Twilight!" Spike yelled.
"Okay, since we are divided, why don't we take a third opinion," Buffy suggested, before turning to Steve. "Steve, do you want to watch Twilight with me or do you want to see a different movie that will be boring because Spike doesn't have a good collection of films to choose from?"
Rogers gave her a contemplating look before answering. "Well, I wasn't really thinking much about what we will watch since I'm still new to these home movies and such. But this one made Spike unhinged, so I want to watch it just to see what the fuss is about."
"Yes!" Buffy exclaimed as Spike murmured, "Your funeral, traitor."
The Slayer ignored him and simply placed the disc in the DVD to play the movie.
"You know, if you hate the movie so much, how come this one was in your collection?" Buffy asked as the opening credits started rolling.
Spike glared at her. "It's not mine. It's Harm's and I had no idea she left it there."
"Okay, okay. It's Harmony's. I believe you," Buffy said, not believing him.
"It's the truth you, daft bint!"
"Hey, if you're a secret Edward Cullen fan, who am I to judge? I still have a crush on Carlisle Cullen, myself, but you don't see me complaining."
"You're off your rocks! I am not a fan of that Cullen bastard. Bloody hell if I ever meet this Pattinson bloke, I will punch him for making such a horrible portrayal of a vampire!"
"Riiiight, and let me guess, you'll ask for his autograph afterward?"
"No!"
She was really starting to piss him off.
But at the same time, he found it adorable that she was teasing him like this.
"Are you two going to watch this movie or are you planning to keep bickering like an old married couple all night?" Steve interjected, giving them a teasing grin.
This seemed to turn the switch off on the arguing pair. Buffy visibly blushed while Spike scowled at his friend.
Ever since the man sussed out that he had a crush on the Slayer, the super soldier had been teasing him nonstop about it. He had been pulling these stunts that made him and Buffy uncomfortable because he made it his mission to always point out when the two of them were doing coupley things unconsciously.
While Spike didn't really mind it and was happy to know that someone was on his side when it came to his feelings for the Slayer, it wasn't the same for his girl. She felt uncomfortable whenever Steve said such things and the fact that she didn't like something made Spike also hate whatever the thing was.
So he sent his friend a disapproving glare.
Which the man ignored and opted to continue to watch the movie as if he didn't say anything. Moments later everyone was back to watching the film and giving snide commentaries on each scene until the end credits rolled in.
Buffy stretched her stiff muscles, unaware that Spike was staring at her exposed navel. She then looked at her phone to check the time and was happy to see that it was a quarter past twelve, which meant she could head home. She turned to her two companions and thanked them for the invite.
"You're welcome, Buffy," Steve said with a smile.
"Well, I better get going. I need to be at the Magic Box tomorrow for some training with Giles," she said.
"Training?" the super soldier asked.
"Well, just because I'm an amazing fighter, doesn't mean I should slack off when it comes to preparing my body. So, my Watcher trains me at least once a week."
Steve looked impressed before adding, "I haven't gone to a gym in a while. Do you mind if I join you tomorrow?"
This made her smile. Captain America joining her for training? Sure! She saw no problem with that.
She told him she was alright with it as long as he agreed to sparring with her. Steve accepted this offer happily.
"Well, I'm off," Buffy announced as she moved towards the door.
"Wait!" Rogers said before turning to Spike. "You should go with her."
"What?! Why?" Spike asked with a panicked look.
"It's late at night and it's only right to accompany a girl back to her place," Rogers reasoned.
"Oh, that won't be necessary," Buffy tried to tell him. "I can totally tak-"
But Steve cut her off. "No, I insist. You stayed late with us because we invited you to watch a movie. The least we can do is escort you home."
Spike didn't miss the glint in his friend's eyes, indicating that the man was planning something. He wasn't certain what the plan was but he had a bad feeling about it.
"She doesn't need an escort. She's the bloody Slayer, she can take care of herself," Spike told the man.
Steve shook his head. "I know she's strong and can handle herself. But she's still a lady, Spike, and it's appropriate that she is escorted home. Call me old-fashioned, but I don't think I'll sleep well if I let her go home by herself."
Spike was finally seeing what his friend was planning and while he appreciated that he was trying to help him out by giving him a chance to spend more time with his crush, he did not want or need his assistance right now.
For one last time, he tried to argue. "If you want to see her home that badly, why don't you do it?"
Steve faked a yawn. "I'm sleepy and it's past my bedtime. Unlike some of us, I actually need to sleep at night," he told the vampire with a smile.
Conniving bastard! Spike thought as he glared at his friend.
The Captain added the final nail to the metaphorical coffin by asking Spike, "Please do this for me."
And that's how he found himself escorting the Slayer, who just happened to be the woman he had a crush on, home.
It wasn't so bad. She seemed to maintain her good mood from earlier. In fact, she was still teasing him about the movie they just watched.
"For the last time, I don't have a man-crush on Edward fucking Cullen! He's stupid, ugly and a sad excuse for a vampire. If he was real, I'd have staked his ass myself and thrown his girlfriend off a bloody cliff," he told her, trying so hard to sound angry but failing as he was smiling at the sight of her laughing at him.
Her laughter was becoming his favorite sound in the world.
"Man, I haven't laughed like that in ages," Buffy admitted as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Happy to oblige, pet. After all, I always do love being the butt of all jokes," he said sarcastically, trying to be mean but the smile on his face spoke differently.
"Aww, don't pout Spike," she teased.
"Shut it, Slayer. I don't pout."
She snorted at this, before giggling again. This time he joined her.
They were nearing her house when they finally stopped laughing.
"I had fun tonight," she suddenly said.
He gave her a side look.
"I mean, after Riley, I thought I'd be miserable because once again I chased another man away from me," she admitted with a sad smile. "But hanging out with you and Steve made things easier and I guess I want to say thank you."
Spike stopped to stare at her.
She stopped as well and tried to explain her words. "I know, I know. It's weird that I'm thanking you and that you're supposed to be the Big Bad so it would ruin your image to have a Slayer giving you her thanks. But I'm just grate-"
"You're welcome, Buffy," he replied in a soft voice.
She turned to face him and was stunned by his kind expression. His blue eyes shone bright and he had a gentle smile on those kissable lips.
Kissable lips? Where did that come from?
"You know, it wasn't your fault those assholes left," Spike suddenly said.
"Huh?"
"Any man who leaves someone as beautiful, kind, brave, and amazing as you, is an idiot and doesn't deserve your tears. You shouldn't think that you chased them away. They left because they were lacking, not you, pet. Don't ever think it was you."
Buffy stared at the vampire and felt tears stinging her eyes. She could tell he was sincere and truthful and it made her happy. All this time she blamed herself for people leaving her but his words- meant a lot to her, to hear someone say she didn't do anything wrong.
"Thank you, Spike," she said again, this time with a smile.
Spike just rubbed the back of his neck and motioned for them to continue their way home. She found it cute that all of a sudden he became shy after giving such a speech, but didn't say anything to make him even more uncomfortable.
The two walked in comfortable silence until they reached the Summers Residence.
"Well, this is my stop," she turned to face him. "Thanks for walking me home."
"Uh, you're welcome."
"I guess, I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked, wanting to know if he would join Steve at the Magic Box.
"Sure. I have to be there to see you kick Rogers' butt when you spar," he answered her with a smirk.
She grinned back. It was nice that he thought she could beat Captain America in a fight.
"Well, good night then."
"Good night, Luv."
She went inside with a smile on her face – it was a really lovely night.
(O.O)
Xander couldn't believe his luck when he walked into the Magic Box to find Captain America and Buffy planning to spar that morning. He thanked his lucky stars that he didn't have to work that day because it meant he could get a chance to have one of his dreams come true: see his heroic best friend fight against his favorite Avenger.
Best day ever!
He entered the training room and went to the corner where Spike was, only because it had the best view of the entire training room. He greeted the vampire, who nodded to him in return.
It was still weird that he wasn't as mean to the vampire as he used to be, but now that he knew what he did during the War, it was hard for Xander not to be kinder to him.
Spike was kind of a hero in his own way, and Xander was someone who always supported heroes.
So he played nice to the vampire and it seemed that it also made Spike act amicable towards him, so it was a win-win.
"How much do you want to bet that the Slayer kicks Steve's butt to next Sunday?" Spike asked.
"No bet. She threw Riley across the room one time and he too had a version of a super soldier enhancement drug in his system," he answered.
"Dang, I miss all the good things in this shop. First Steve punches the soldier boy, now Buffy threw him across the room."
Xander smiled at the vampire's look of dismay before adding, "Well, Buffy did that when they were still dating and you were still hated by everyone here."
"You saying everyone here now loves me, Harris?"
"You know what I mean," he rolled his eyes. The vampire could be so annoying sometimes.
Spike chuckled but didn't comment anymore. Instead, he opted to watch as Steve and Buffy circled each other, both waiting for the other to make the first move.
"I wonder if the other Avengers are okay with this?" he suddenly asked the vampire.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, Capt. Rogers is here and you said he'll be spending Christmas in town. I was just wondering if the other Avengers are not curious about his whereabouts."
"Steve told Romanov and Fury about his plans to stay in town, so I'm certain she's already told the rest of them where Steve is."
"Yeah, but aren't they at least curious about where he is? Or what he's doing here? I mean, we know that the Hellmouth is here but outsiders don't know about that. For them, Sunnydale will be nothing more than a boring little town. Won't they be interested in why Captain America of all people would want to spend time here?"
"I don't know about that," the vampire said, looking thoughtful. "I mean, other than Stark, I think the others will just accept that Rogers wanted to spend the holidays away from the bustling city life."
"Stark? You mean Iron Man?"
"Do you know any other Stark who flies around in a metal suit?"
"No. I'm just surprised that you call him that and not by his hero name," Xander said.
"I don't call that boy Iron Man, because he's still a kid to me. I knew his old man and mum and I'll be damned if I speak about him like he's anyone special."
Xander's eyes couldn't get any wider than they are at that moment. Spike had just told him that he knew the late Howard Stark! The Howard Stark!
"What?!" The vampire snapped.
"You knew Howard Stark!"
"Yeah, what of it?"
"It's just-it's so cool that you know all these people that I only read about in books and comics that I have!" Xander said excitedly. "You have to tell me about them!"
Spike stared at Harris like he had grown another head. He knew that the Whelp was a fan of all things Captain America and what happened during the war, but to think he would forget all about his evil past just so the boy could learn about a bunch of people he knew a long time ago…
Fortunately for Xander, he was in a sharing mood.
"Howard Stark was a smart and brave man. However, he was an arrogant and narcissistic asshole, who most times thought with his dick instead of his head. More often than not the man found trouble with the ladies he mixed with, more than any other activity he had done during the war," Spike said. The vampire then started to list all the trouble Howard Stark got himself into back in the days.
Xander listened with rapt attention. He hung on every word the vampire said and asked questions from time to time to clarify what happened.
"So Peggy Carter punched Stark for it?" He asked after hearing about a particular incident in London where Stark arrived in the encampment drunk and had groped the infamous Margaret Carter's behind.
"Oh, she kneed him in the jewels. Trust me, you have never seen a man become so sober that fast!"
The two of them continued their discussion of the past while Steve and Buffy sparred in front of them.
Surprisingly, the super soldier was on par with the Slayer in terms of speed and strength.
All his earlier reservations about fighting her at full strength went out the window as soon as he received her first punch. It hurt his jaw, but at the same time, it set the pace for him on how he would handle this mock battle. He could throw a punch at his opponent without worrying about hurting her.
It felt refreshing for the young Captain to fight someone who actually knew how to take his attacks and hit him back with the same – if not even more powerful than his own.
Kick. Punch. Block. Jab.
Neither of them seemed to be getting tired any time soon. They were too busy having fun hitting each other.
However, all good things must come to an end: Giles picked that moment, before Buffy could land another hit on the Captain's face, to let them know that it was enough training for today. Buffy groaned in dismay as she walked towards her Watcher.
"Couldn't you have waited until I knocked him down before you asked us to stop?"
"If I had waited any longer, you two never would've ended that fight until one or both of you were either severely injured or knocked out," the man said with a dry tone.
Buffy smiled at him before handing Steve a dry towel.
"Thanks," the Captain said with a smile. "That was one of the best workouts I've ever had."
"No kidding! I never thought you'd be able to keep up with me. That serum thing sure is amazing. You're almost as good as a Slayer."
"Maybe," he replied before turning to the other corner of the room where Spike and Xander were talking animatedly.
"I wonder what they are talking about?" Buffy asked.
"The past. I think Spike's telling him about Howard, Peggy, and the rest of the Howling Commandos," the super soldier answered with a strange look.
"Is that okay with you?" Buffy asked. She noticed that the Captain looked pained every time someone brought up his past and the people he knew from that time.
Steve merely smiled at her. "Yeah, it's Spike's past too, so he's allowed to tell our story."
Buffy still looked uncertain but decided to drop the matter. There was no point insisting that they stop Spike when it was clear that Steve didn't find any issues with the vampire's actions.
Instead, she followed the super soldier to where Xander and Spike were and joined in on their conversation.
"So S.H.I.E.L.D just lets you do anything you want because of the clearance Peggy Carter gave you?!" She asked the vampire.
"I don't do anything I want because of the clearance from Margaret. A clearance level doesn't automatically mean I have power over S.H.I.E.L.D. I just have access to stuff that even their Director doesn't."
"Wait, if you have access to files that the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't, does that mean you're higher than Fury himself?" It was Steve's turn to ask.
"In terms of clearance level? Yeah, I'm higher than him. But I can't just go and replace him or send out orders to S.H.I.E.L.D operatives when I feel like it," Spike replied.
"Then what's the point of having such a high clearance level?" Xander asked.
"Like I said, Carter gave it to me so I can manage S.H.I.E.L.D.'s information regarding demons. I have access codes that I can use to make sure that S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't know about demons and the like. The existence of the demonic community had to be protected and this was the best way I could do it."
"How do you access these codes? I highly doubt an organization as big and high-tech as S.H.I.E.L.D. would let you connect to their computers," Rupert, unable to contain himself from joining the group, asked.
Spike smirked before answering. "You're not the only one who has a genius hacker friend that is also capable of using magic."
"You know someone like that?" Buffy asked, looking surprised.
Spike nodded before telling the group about his friend, Maximus, a sixteen-year-old hacker who was the son of a witch. The boy was a genius with a computer and with his mother's teachings, he was able to incorporate magic and technology with just a tap of his keyboard. It was because of Max's help that Spike could easily check S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files using his phone and they wouldn't be able to know it was him or trace his location when he did.
"Wow, you need to introduce this guy to Will. I bet they'd get along real well," Buffy said.
"That's impossible, pet. The boy doesn't leave his house in Surrey. All communications I have with him are over the phone and they are heavily encrypted and enchanted so no one can listen in on our talks, without hearing rubbish," Spike explained.
Xander merely stared at the vampire with even more admiration. It was amazing, he was friends with Captain America, he had access to S.H.I.E.L.D. databases to protect demons and such, and he fought in the war 70 years ago and saved people from Nazis! What's there not to like about the guy?!
Other than the fact that he tried to kill you a couple of years back? His brain provided.
But Xander ignored that. He had no idea who Spike was back then. If he did, he would've gladly offered his neck to the vampire who saved Captain America and helped stop the war that nearly ravaged the entire world.
Okay, maybe offering his neck wasn't something he'd do, but at least he would've been nicer to the guy when he got the chip.
The chip.
Spike still had it and maybe it was the only reason why he was playing nice with them. It worried Xander what would happen should it stop working. Would he finish where he left off a couple of years ago and try and kill them all again?
It worried him that there was a chance that the vampire he was admiring now could still cause his death in the future.
But Xander Harris was nothing if not an optimist. If the chip does stop working, maybe Spike wouldn't attack them because they earned his friendship by then, just like Captain America had done?
So he decided to try his best to do better and treat the brass, annoying and snarky vampire with respect and at least a smidgen of kindness.
Do unto others what you want them to do unto you. Or so the saying goes.
"By the way, mom wants to know if you guys are all coming over for Christmas dinner on the 25th?" Buffy asked.
"Hmmm, a noisy and drunken dinner with my family? Or a delicious, well-prepared meal at Casa de Summers? I think I'll pick option B," Xander answered.
"I accept the invite as well," Giles added. "I don't have anything better to do after all."
Buffy smiled at the two before turning to the other men in the room.
"How about you two? You guys want to join us for Christmas dinner?" she asked Rogers and Spike.
"I'm game," Steve answered before looking at Spike. "I mean, you don't have anything planned for us that night, right?"
"Nah. It's Christmas. It's like Halloween. Demons would rather stay inside to avoid the jolly festivities," Spike replied. "So we can join them for dinner."
"Awesome! I'll tell mom you two are coming. She's been pestering me to invite you two, but I kept forgetting."
With that, the group went to the front of the shop to join Anya, who had already ordered lunch for everyone, and continued with their storytelling there.
(O.O)
Curiosity killed the cat. Or so the saying went.
But Tony Stark was nothing, if not a survivor. So, he was pretty confident that whatever killed that cat would not be able to get him. He was fucking Iron Man after all.
This was how, he dragged his friend, Bruce Banner, to the unknown town of Sunnydale, California to find their wayward Captain. He said he preferred to visit an old friend from the War than to spend Christmas with the rest of the Avengers at Stark's newly renovated house in Malibu.
He wasn't bitter that the man chose his war friends over the new ones, with whom he fought aliens with.
Nope. He wasn't bitter at all.
He was just curious.
So curious that he had the man's phone tracked by Jarvis to know where his fellow Avenger was. When he got Steve's coordinates, he took Bruce and drove straight to the dull and ordinary town to surprise their friend.
When they arrived in town, Stark couldn't help but wince at everything. When Jarvis told him that the town was small, he hadn't expected that his A.I. meant that in a literal sense. There weren't many commercial buildings and the buildings he did see were no more than two or three stories tall. Shops looked locally owned and there was nothing to indicate that modern changes touched the place for the last decade.
Tony felt bad for Rogers. He's staying in this town, he must be bored off his mind.
Luckily for the young captain, he was here to rescue him.
"This place looks nice," Bruce commented from the passenger seat of his Audi.
He rolled his eyes at his friend. "By nice, you mean boring? Why the hell would Cap decide to stay here when he could have fun at my place in Malibu?"
Bruce gave a disapproving look. "You heard what Nat said. He wanted some time for himself to visit a friend from the War. That means he prefers this boring town to the fun you were offering, Tony,"
"Now that's just mean. But I am willing to overlook it since I am nice that way," he said. "Jarvis, in which way to Steve?"
"You will need to turn left here, sir."
Stark drove his car until he arrived in front of a house on Revello Drive.
"Captain Rogers' GPS indicates that he is inside that house, sir," Jarvis informed them.
Stark eyed the small suburban home with curiosity. It wasn't that bad and he could indeed see a war veteran living there. However, he couldn't help but compare it to his own home and found the house in front of him lacking.
"Well, let's go!" he announced before leaving his car.
Bruce merely sighed.
This will not end well for them, the doctor thought as he followed Tony to the front of the house.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The two men waited for someone to answer. They could hear laughter from inside the house so they knew someone was home. However, it took at least 5 minutes, because Tony counted, before someone answered the door.
The door opened and a young girl, around the age of fourteen or fifteen, answered.
"Hi," Stark said with his most charming smile. "Is Steve Rogers here?"
The teen merely stared at them for a minute before calling out to someone in the house named Buffy and telling them that two strangers were outside looking for Steve, before closing the door on them.
It annoyed Tony that someone closed the door on his face. But he could be mature and forgive the brat for not recognizing them. He just hoped that this Buffy had better manners than the teen and would invite them inside.
It took another minute before someone else opened the door, this time it was a young woman with blond hair and short stature.
"You're Tony Stark and Bruce Banner," she said.
Tony smiled again. "That's right. We're looking for Steve Rogers. a.k.a Captain America? Is he in there?"
The woman crossed her arms and stared at them suspiciously.
Jeez, it wasn't like they were there to hurt them or anything. They were just there to visit Steve, Tony thought in frustration.
She then turned to face someone behind her who said, "They're human, pet, and I'm pretty sure they're telling the truth. One of them has Howard's scent."
"Right," the young woman said before opening the door wider and inviting them in.
Stark smiled as he entered the house and the young woman led them to the living room where Steve was.
"Tony, Bruce, what are you two doing here?" Steve asked with a glare that he directed at the former.
"Well, you know, it's Christmas and I thought you could use some holiday cheer from your friends," Stark replied with a smug grin.
"We're really sorry to barge in like this," Bruce, being the more polite of the two, said.
"It's okay, dear. It's Christmas and I don't mind a couple more guests coming over for dinner," the oldest woman in the group said. "Buffy, would you be a dear and help Dawn set two more plates at the table?"
Buffy nodded and went to the other room, which was probably the kitchen, to do as she was told.
Steve merely sighed. Since Joyce was alright with his friends being there, he couldn't kick them out. The young captain instead offered his seat on the couch to the two visitors.
"So, this is where you've been?" Tony asked. "It's a nice place and quite a peaceful town."
"It is," Steve replied in exasperation. Can the man be any more obvious in his dislike for the small town?
"I'm just curious why you'd choose to spend the holidays here though," Stark added.
"No particular reason other than I like it here. I'm sure you would know to respect that, Tony."
Stark wanted to say more but Billy Idol wannabe came in and offered him and Bruce a glass of wine.
"You got anything harder?" Tony asked, earning a glare from both Rogers and Banner.
"Sorry, mate. Majority of the guests tonight are minors, so it's a big no on anything harder than red wine," was Billy's response.
"Damn. I should've brought my own drink to this party," Stark muttered.
"If you really want, there's a bar a couple of blocks from here that offers the strongest drink known to man," Billy said with a malicious smirk that took Tony aback.
"Spike, no," Rogers said with a reprimanding tone.
Spike shrugged before backing up and walking to the corner of the room where an older gentleman stood nursing a drink.
Tony stared at the platinum-haired man for a couple more minutes to try and suss out why he felt scared of him earlier before shrugging and turning his attention back to Steve.
"So, you never answered my question about why you'd choose to stay in this town rather than a wonderful beach house in Malibu," he asked. "I mean, I am offended that you think you'd have more fun here than at my place."
Steve sighed at his friend's rude behavior. Doesn't he realize that he was practically insulting the people in this room by assuming that his place was better than their town?
"Tony, that's rude. Just because you think your beach house is better than this town, doesn't mean you can just look down on what this place means to Steve. I mean, you haven't been in town for more than thirty minutes. That's hardly enough time for you to pass judgment on it," Dr. Banner said.
"Hey, I'm not judging this small town. I'm merely stating facts, am I right, blondie?" he asked Spike.
"Sorry, mate. All I heard was whining coming out of that mouth of yours, so I tuned out most of what you said," the blonde man said, earning a laugh from Steve and Banner.
"Yeah, well, fuck you too, Billy Idol," Stark said.
"Language!"
Everyone in the room stared at Steve in surprise.
"Did you just say language to me?" The billionaire asked with an incredulous look.
"Sorry, it slipped."
Tony was about to say more but another group of guests arrived at that very moment.
"Holy shit! It's Tony Stark!" The young man from the group exclaimed.
Stark gave Steve a look. "That's the reaction I expected to receive. Aren't you going to tell him to watch his language?" he asked with a smile.
(O.O)
Not much happened during dinner. There was a small incident with the pie and a slight issue with the table arrangement since there were two extra people, but Buffy's mother was an expert at organizing things and she was able to fit all her guests with no problem.
Buffy still couldn't believe that there were two extra Avengers at her table but her inner fangirl had shut down immediately after Tony Stark opened his mouth. The man was everything the tabloids said he was. Arrogant, annoying, rude, and a womanizer (because HE FLIRTED WITH EVERY WOMAN IN THEIR GROUP). It was amazing how much patience the rest of the Avengers had just to put up with the guy.
More than once, Spike offered to bite him.
If he could, Buffy would've let him after the man told her mother she was beautiful and an excellent cook and offered her that she should work for him.
The nerve of that guy. Her mother was an independent and self-reliant woman who already had a job so she didn't have to work for assholes who think money makes the world go around.
Buffy kept a straight face throughout the entire affair up until their group retired to the living room for some tea or wine.
"You know, I can see the appeal in all this and I can understand why you decided to stay here for the holidays," Stark said to Steve as he took another sip of his wine.
"I'd rather you don't elaborate on that statement," the super soldier responded with a deadpan expression.
"Seriously. This place is nice, has warm good vibes, and is homey. What's not to love?" The billionaire asked. "Quick question though. Nat told me that you came here to visit a friend from the war and unless the British dude in tweed over there is older than he looks, I'm not seeing this person who you ditched us for."
Silence filled the air after that statement.
Throughout dinner, everyone avoided conversations about vampires and demons since the two uninvited guests were not aware of the demonic community as Steve or some agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. were. The group made a silent vow not to mention anything that would give the two uninvited visitors an idea about the existence of things that go bump in the night.
"Did I say something?" Tony asked.
Luckily for everyone, Bruce was able to come up with a reasonable explanation for their odd behavior.
"Your friend is dead, isn't he?" The scientist asked with a sympathetic look.
Steve's eyes widened at this. Well, it wasn't a lie.
"He is," Spike said, dawning a sad expression. "He was a relative of mine and he served with Steve back in the day."
"Shit," Stark said before turning to Steve with a guilty look. "I'm sorry, man. I had no idea."
"It's okay, Tony," Rogers answered with a small smile.
Guess he isn't as terrible as I thought he was, Buffy thought as she watched the billionaire trying to offer his condolences to Spike.
The night went more smoothly after that.
Stark wasn't acting like an overbearing jerk anymore. Steve later told stories of his time during the war and how he used to celebrate Christmas with his mother and best friend, Bucky. The other Scoobies followed suit and even Spike shared some of his less gruesome Christmases with Drusilla.
Buffy particularly loved the story where he and Dru visited Paris and spent an entire evening under the stars on top of the Eiffel Tower. That was romantic, even for her.
It was a quarter before ten in the evening when Tony and Bruce decided it was time for them to head home since they still had to drive back to Malibu. Though her mother offered the two Avengers to stay for the night, Stark had insisted that he wanted to go home to his own bed. It was when the two of them were about to leave when things went to hell.
Steve walked the two Avengers to Stark's car when he heard a roar from across the street. The three Avengers froze when they saw a seven-foot-tall monster, who looked like a humanoid hybrid of a lion and a bull, walking toward them from across the street.
"What the fuck?!" Tony exclaimed as he backed away from the beast.
"Is that a mutant?!" Bruce asked.
Steve didn't answer and instead, he pulled the two men back to avoid the lamp post that the monster threw at them. The post hit Stark's car instead.
"Buffy! Spike!"
They immediately rushed out of the house when they heard Steve calling for them and joined the Avengers. The woman of the pair was carrying a large ax with ease that surprised Tony and Bruce.
"I thought you said demons don't attack Christmas," Buffy said to Spike.
"No self-respecting demon would attack Christmas or even come out of their holes during this time of the year," the blonde punk responded.
"And what do you call this one then?"
"A summoned demon with no self-respect?"
"Demon?" Bruce asked, staring at the two with a panicked expression.
"Summoned? This thing was called here?" Steve asked his friend from behind the pair, where he was still protecting his other two friends.
"Yeah, it smells of magic. Definitely the work of that Glory bint."
"Do you two need help taking care of that thing?" Steve asked.
"Nah, Slayer and I can handle this. I suggest you take care of your friend there. He's going a bit green at the moment," Spike said, giving a quick nod towards Banner.
Steve's attention immediately shifted to the scientist.
"Dr. Banner, I need you to calm down. I know this is all confusing and that things are a bit scary, but you can't let the big guy out," Steve said in a soft tone.
"I'm-trying," Bruce said with a growl.
"Please Bruce, this town doesn't need the Hulk rampaging its streets."
"You're worried about the Hulk going nuts here when that thing is about to kill your friends?!" Bruce yelled at the Captain, looking angrier and angrier.
Steve didn't know what to do. Banner was going to lose himself and he was certain that the spell around town would not be able to conceal a berserk Hulk around town.
"Captain Rogers, will you let Tara and me handle Dr. Banner?" Willow asked, appearing beside Bruce.
It was only then that Steve noticed that the rest of his friends had stepped outside except for Joyce and Buffy's little sister, who remained by the entrance of the house.
"Wha-what are you two going to do?" Banner asked.
"Please trust us, Doctor," Tara said with a soft voice.
This seemed to work as Bruce no longer looked panicked, despite the skin around his neck and chin changing to the familiar green hue.
"Compescuerit ventum et effectus. Splendorem timore tuo. Dolorem tuum lenire. Let thy beast rest. Let my will be done," both women chanted, and all of a sudden a gentle white light surrounded the scientist.
Once the light receded, Bruce looked the calmest he had ever looked. He eyed the two women in reverence.
"What did you two do?" he asked.
"A simple spell that relieves stress. Tara and I use it sometimes when we study for exams," Willow answered with a shy smile.
"Spell?" He repeated but his question remained unanswered as their attention ventured back to the two people fighting the gigantic beast.
Spike and Buffy were pissed at the demon for showing up precisely at the wrong time.
For Buffy, this beast interrupted a very special evening with her friends and family. This was supposed to be her time off and this thing decided to ruin it.
For Spike, he was angry because the demon practically ruined his attempt to hide the existence of demons from the two other Avengers. He had spent that entire evening pretending that he was not a vampire, even going as far as declining the blood Joyce prepared for him just so his cover wasn't blown and this idiot went ahead and blew it anyway.
It deserved to die! The Slayer and vampire thought as one as they punched the monster in the face.
Buffy took a swing of her ax and was able to cut off the demon's arm. Spike took the beast's pain as an opportunity to jump on its back. The vampire grabbed hold of its head before ripping it off with his bare hands. Dark grey blood splattered onto the street, even hitting the two fighters, much to the Slayer's despair.
"Spike! You idiot! This is a Gucci sweater! Look what you did?!" The petite blonde yelled at the vampire while she pointed at the ruined state of her clothes.
"If you didn't want it ruined then you shouldn't have worn it while fighting a demon, pet."
"I didn't have time to change before coming out here, you bastard."
"Then you should've just removed all your clothes," the vampire leered.
"You're a pig. An ass and a pig," the Slayer told him, earning a grin from the vampire.
"Okay you two, can you two stop flirting and focus on more important matters?" Steve asked the two while looking at his other friends, Stark and Banner, and completely ignoring the glare the two fighters sent his way.
"I agree. I actually want to know what the fuck was that thing and how the hell did you two kill it with just an axe and your bare hands?!" Stark asked, looking horrified at the two warrior's bloodied state.
"Ahem, perhaps we can take this conversation inside?" Giles approached the group. "I assure you, we will explain everything there."
Banner and Tony shared a look before shrugging. They were curious. From everyone's reaction to the encounter, it was obvious that this wasn't the first time they were attacked and they wanted to know what that thing was and how the two women, who helped Bruce, were able to stop the Hulk from appearing.
"Sure, we can stay a bit longer to talk about that thing. Besides, it destroyed my car," Stark said before eying his Audi that was damaged by the monster. "I'm going to have to call Happy to pick us up and that could take a while. So, we have until then for you guys to tell us what you know."
(O.O)
"So let me get this straight: God exists and He created this world and many others to house monsters?" Bruce asked the people in the room.
"No, He created humans. Demons and other supernatural beings were believed to exist long before man. They ruled this world and many others. But when God came and made humans, and with his angels, known as the Powers That Be, vanished these ancient demons to hell dimensions, and Earth was now owned by man. Some demons still survived the purging and to stop them from ruling humans once again, a girl was Chosen to fight them," Giles explained.
"And that's you?" Bruce asked, looking at Buffy.
"Yup," Buffy replied. "The Chosen One. She who fights vampires and demons in stylish boots and clothes."
"And you're actually a demon?" The doctor this time turned to Spike.
"That's right. A vampire to be exact," Spike said with a grin.
"And you two are working together?"
"Well, Spike, at the moment, can't hurt anyone other than demons. So, he's working with us temporarily," Xander answered for them.
"Because the government put a chip in your head?" Banner tried to clarify.
"Something like that," the vampire responded, looking uncomfortable with the conversation.
"Huh," was all the doctor said as he internally processed everything he just learned. It was mind-boggling and the idea of demons and monsters and MAGIC! God, magic actually exists and it can stop the Hulk from appearing! It was all too much for him. He needed time to actually consider everything he had learned.
He turned to Tony to see how the man was taking this and was surprised to see his friend was looking troubled. When he asked how he was doing, he let out a loud noise.
"AHA!" Tony suddenly exclaimed, making Bruce jump. "Steve didn't come here to visit a friend from the war. He's actually here so he can work with the Slayer on a mission for S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't he?"
"Tony, no. I didn't come here to spy on Buffy for S.H.I.E.L.D. I really did come here to visit a friend," Steve said to him.
Tony shrugged and sent a dismissive look to the Captain. "Oh, you mean punk vampire's distant relative? You really want me to believe that?"
"Well, he's not wrong, Rogers," Spike suddenly said, stopping Steve from arguing further with his friend. "Now that he knows what I am, it's hard for him to believe you'd come to visit my relative."
"Exactly," Tony agreed.
"However, I'm certain he also wouldn't have believed you if you told him the truth, that you came here to visit me. Your friend from the war, who just happened to be a vampire," Spike finished.
Tony stopped at this new information. Did he hear it right? Did Steve really come to visit this guy?
"You're his war veteran friend?" Stark asked, staring at the vampire in disbelief.
"A little slow, aren't you? Howard must be rolling in his grave because of you," the vampire said with a grin.
"How-you knew my dad?"
"Boy, I have so many stories about your old man that you'd be embarrassed to be related to him," Spike smirked at the man's astounded expression.
And with that, Stark knew he just had to invite this vampire with Steve to his New Year's Party in New York. This guy needed to meet Pepper.
TBC
(O.O)
Thanks for reading!