Disclaimer: I own nothing but this chapter of the challenge started by Zekkers. Everything else belongs to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and the WB.
Finished: May 13, 2001
~~ The Medicine Was Worth It ~~
They watched each other for a few seconds, unsure of what to do or say. The music blared throughout the club and made the air between the odd pair a little less tense.
"You want a drink?" Spike asked finally. "My treat."
"That'd be great," she replied. "I'll just have a Coke please."
Spike stood and went to the bar to order as Buffy sat at the table wondering what the hell she was doing. Here she was, hanging out at the Bronze with Spike. It wasn't a horrible thing, she assumed, after all, he was trying to be a good person but it made her emotions mix. Spike seemed like a nice guy at times; the guy who comforted her when she found out her mom was sick; the guy who helped her find Dawn when she'd run away; the guy whose crypt she woke up in today without remembering a thing; the guy who had tied her up and threatened to kill her if she didn't admit she felt something for him. On second thought, could she really trust him? When he returned to the table with two drinks and a humble half-smile on his face, she had her answer.
"Thanks," she said as she took her glass from him. She took a sip and set it down on the table. "So, what'd you do today?" she asked, trying her best to make conversation.
"Slept." he said before taking a sip of his beer.
Buffy nodded slowly. "Oh." she whispered.
Spike eyed her as she scanned the room. This was obviously confusing for her. "Something on your mind, Slayer?" he asked.
*You.* she thought to herself, but instead replied, "No, just kind of tired. I mustn't have gotten much sleep last night, huh?"
"Just babbling until you finally fell asleep," he lied. Avoiding her questioning eyes, he looked toward the dancers. "Wanna dance?"
Buffy shrugged and stood up. "Why not," she said. He offered his hand like a complete gentleman and when she took it, after staring at it for a couple seconds, he led her to the dance floor.
It was awkward at first, dancing with Spike, but she loosened up and wrapped her arms comfortably around his neck. He nervously placed his hands on her hips and they stood still for a minute, registering how near they were to each other and not fighting.
"This is ridiculous," Buffy scoffed. "It's not like we're dating. Just dancing."
"Yeah, really," he agreed with a forced chuckle. "Just dancing."
As the song ended a couple minutes later, the Scoobies returned to the table...except for Spike and Buffy. She had her head comfortably resting on his chest, eyes closed, with her arms now hugging his waist and hidden beneath his duster. Spike had his chin resting on her head, his eyes closed, and his arms wrapped protectively around her shoulders. They both looked content with each other and hadn't even noticed that the music had changed.
"I think they're sleeping," Anya remarked. "They haven't moved for the last five minutes."
But Spike didn't want to move. He knew well aware that the song had ended, but he wanted to keep Buffy near. He was utterly enchanted by her beauty; her scent; her warm body against his; the soft sound of her breathing; her heartbeat pounding against his chest.
"You okay, Buffster?" Xander called, breaking the couple out of their trance. She looked up at Spike and felt her face flush. She had felt so safe and comfortable in Spike's arms. Spike of all people.
They quickly separated from each other and shuffled back to the table. The other couples stared them and all was silent in the group. No words could explain what had happened between the Slayer and vampire on the dance floor.
"So, uh, Tara and I are going to go back to the dorm and get some sleep," Willow said awkwardly. "Um, I have a test, yeah, a test tomorrow morning that I have to study for."
"Willow, you have drama class tomorrow morning." Buffy said with a smirk.
Willow searched Buffy's face for a minute. "It's kind of an aptitude test, to see what we've learned." she said quickly.
"If you wanna go, just go, Wills," Buffy said. "No biggie."
"No, it's not that," the redheaded witch explained. "I just--"
"You're excused, Red," Spike interrupted her, flashing her a quick smirk.
Willow smiled slightly and left with Tara after saying goodnight to everyone. Soon after, Xander and Anya left with the excuse that Xander had to work tomorrow and Anya wanted to have sex that night.
"So..." Buffy let her voice trail off.
"Yep..." Spike agreed.
Spike scanned the crowd and Buffy eyed him covertly while taking a sip of her Coke. Everything about him was appealing. His bright blue eyes; well-defined cheekbones; the natural pout of his lips; his deep, velvety, British voice; the little scar on his left eyebrow; his muscled chest outlined by his black shirt; his Adam's Apple; and even his leather jacket made him look sexy. *He's such a hottie, how come I've never noticed it before?* she questioned herself. *Probably because I was too busy kicking his sexy ass.*
Then she realized he was looking at her and she blushed, flashed an embarrassed smile and glued her eyes to her feet. "So what to do now? I don't have a class tomorrow morning so I can stay out for a while." she said, trying desperately to change the subject. *Oh, yeah, that's a good start, Buffy. Make it sound like you want to sleep with him...although...stop it! Bad Buffy, bad!*
Spike grinned at the thought of Buffy ogling him, which, to be honest, he didn't really mind. Deciding to turn on the charm, he answered her question. "I'm game for anything as long as you're there with me."
Buffy felt her heart flutter and was sure that Spike had heard it. *No, I can't do this,* she scolded herself mentally. *I can't fall for Spike. That's, like, illegal or something. But a little fun never hurt anyone.* Glancing up at Spike, she smiled. "Let's get outta here," she said. "We can roam the streets looking for our own entertainment."
Spike smiled and nodded. Standing up, he offered her his arm, which she linked hers through. *This is so weird, but it feels almost right.* she thought as they left the Bronze.
They wandered through the town, staking the occasional vamp or two before going to sit at a small coffee shop. They spent a couple hours there, nursing coffees which neither of them liked, and chatting about nothing and everything.
Spike had told her more about his pasts, both human and vampiric, and Buffy had told him about her years as the Slayer and even before that. Before they knew it, they had become friends, confidantes, and had things in common that they'd never expected.
They left the shop, or rather they were kicked out, and Spike offered to walk Buffy home. She accepted, glad to have the company and set off toward her house.
A chilly breeze passed through the air and Buffy shivered slightly, cursing herself for forgetting to bring her jacket that night. She ran her hands against her bare arms and Spike took notice.
"You cold, Slayer?" he asked.
"No, I'm fine." she smiled at him.
"Don't pull any of that 'I'm fine' crap," he said, removing his duster. "Next thing you know, you'll be in bed with pneumonia." He helped her put the jacket on and she wrapped it around herself. She was practically swimming in it, it was so big.
Spike looked at her and laughed. "Just a little big, but it'll keep you warm." he said.
"Thanks." she said with a slight smile. She could smell his cologne on the jacket and smiled to herself. As much as she'd have hated to admit it before, she liked hanging out with Spike. She was comfortable around him and didn't have to put on any masks. He knew her well, which was kind of creepy, but also kind of consoling to have someone who understood her so completely.
*Oh my god, I'm doing it!* she panicked. *I'm falling for Spike.* She glanced at the man walking beside her. He was a soulless demon, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to care. *You've been hurt too many times, Buffy. Don't go down this road again.*
Spike kept a straight face, but inside was smiling. He knew he'd gotten the Slayer thinking about them; all night he'd spent trying to prove he'd changed for her and it had worked. Telling stories of his past as William made him seem more human to her, he guessed. He could smell her nervousness and fear and couldn't help but share the same emotions.
They arrived at her door and Buffy removed the duster, handing it back to him. "Thanks," she said.
"For what?" he asked, putting his jacket back on.
"For the jacket, genius." she replied.
"Oh, it's nothing. Not like I needed it or anything." he smirked, feeling slightly embarrassed for sounding like an idiot.
"And thanks for tonight," she added. "It was...fun."
"Yeah, it's been a blast." he said. "We should--"
He was interrupted as Buffy placed her hands on his neck and pulled him into a kiss. Spike froze with surprise but soon began kissing her in return. He put his hands on her back and pulled her closer. He pulled away from her, regretfully, but she needed to breathe sooner or later.
"Spike." she whispered breathlessly, standing on her tiptoes to rest her forehead against his.
"Buffy." he whispered back.
"Why am I doing this?" she asked. "Am I crazy?"
"I hope so," he replied. "That would make me crazy too, and it would explain things."
"Like what?" she asked quietly.
"Like why I love you." he answered. "Why I can't think of anything else but you."
Buffy stared into his eyes. Did she want to get into this kind of relationship with Spike? He seemed like the jealous boyfriend type. Like if he caught her talking to Ben or a classmate he'd get angry. Or maybe she was wrong. Maybe he'd just feel sad and unworthy of her attention like he had when Dru returned to Angelus, or when he'd caught her with the Chaos demon. No matter how much he adored Drusilla, she'd find ways to make him jealous and hurt him. Buffy promised herself she wouldn't do that to him. She knew he definitely wouldn't do that to her.
"Something on your mind, Slayer?" he asked for the second time that night.
"You." she replied this time, smiling at him. Then she kissed him.
~~ The End ~~
Finished: May 13, 2001
~~ The Medicine Was Worth It ~~
They watched each other for a few seconds, unsure of what to do or say. The music blared throughout the club and made the air between the odd pair a little less tense.
"You want a drink?" Spike asked finally. "My treat."
"That'd be great," she replied. "I'll just have a Coke please."
Spike stood and went to the bar to order as Buffy sat at the table wondering what the hell she was doing. Here she was, hanging out at the Bronze with Spike. It wasn't a horrible thing, she assumed, after all, he was trying to be a good person but it made her emotions mix. Spike seemed like a nice guy at times; the guy who comforted her when she found out her mom was sick; the guy who helped her find Dawn when she'd run away; the guy whose crypt she woke up in today without remembering a thing; the guy who had tied her up and threatened to kill her if she didn't admit she felt something for him. On second thought, could she really trust him? When he returned to the table with two drinks and a humble half-smile on his face, she had her answer.
"Thanks," she said as she took her glass from him. She took a sip and set it down on the table. "So, what'd you do today?" she asked, trying her best to make conversation.
"Slept." he said before taking a sip of his beer.
Buffy nodded slowly. "Oh." she whispered.
Spike eyed her as she scanned the room. This was obviously confusing for her. "Something on your mind, Slayer?" he asked.
*You.* she thought to herself, but instead replied, "No, just kind of tired. I mustn't have gotten much sleep last night, huh?"
"Just babbling until you finally fell asleep," he lied. Avoiding her questioning eyes, he looked toward the dancers. "Wanna dance?"
Buffy shrugged and stood up. "Why not," she said. He offered his hand like a complete gentleman and when she took it, after staring at it for a couple seconds, he led her to the dance floor.
It was awkward at first, dancing with Spike, but she loosened up and wrapped her arms comfortably around his neck. He nervously placed his hands on her hips and they stood still for a minute, registering how near they were to each other and not fighting.
"This is ridiculous," Buffy scoffed. "It's not like we're dating. Just dancing."
"Yeah, really," he agreed with a forced chuckle. "Just dancing."
As the song ended a couple minutes later, the Scoobies returned to the table...except for Spike and Buffy. She had her head comfortably resting on his chest, eyes closed, with her arms now hugging his waist and hidden beneath his duster. Spike had his chin resting on her head, his eyes closed, and his arms wrapped protectively around her shoulders. They both looked content with each other and hadn't even noticed that the music had changed.
"I think they're sleeping," Anya remarked. "They haven't moved for the last five minutes."
But Spike didn't want to move. He knew well aware that the song had ended, but he wanted to keep Buffy near. He was utterly enchanted by her beauty; her scent; her warm body against his; the soft sound of her breathing; her heartbeat pounding against his chest.
"You okay, Buffster?" Xander called, breaking the couple out of their trance. She looked up at Spike and felt her face flush. She had felt so safe and comfortable in Spike's arms. Spike of all people.
They quickly separated from each other and shuffled back to the table. The other couples stared them and all was silent in the group. No words could explain what had happened between the Slayer and vampire on the dance floor.
"So, uh, Tara and I are going to go back to the dorm and get some sleep," Willow said awkwardly. "Um, I have a test, yeah, a test tomorrow morning that I have to study for."
"Willow, you have drama class tomorrow morning." Buffy said with a smirk.
Willow searched Buffy's face for a minute. "It's kind of an aptitude test, to see what we've learned." she said quickly.
"If you wanna go, just go, Wills," Buffy said. "No biggie."
"No, it's not that," the redheaded witch explained. "I just--"
"You're excused, Red," Spike interrupted her, flashing her a quick smirk.
Willow smiled slightly and left with Tara after saying goodnight to everyone. Soon after, Xander and Anya left with the excuse that Xander had to work tomorrow and Anya wanted to have sex that night.
"So..." Buffy let her voice trail off.
"Yep..." Spike agreed.
Spike scanned the crowd and Buffy eyed him covertly while taking a sip of her Coke. Everything about him was appealing. His bright blue eyes; well-defined cheekbones; the natural pout of his lips; his deep, velvety, British voice; the little scar on his left eyebrow; his muscled chest outlined by his black shirt; his Adam's Apple; and even his leather jacket made him look sexy. *He's such a hottie, how come I've never noticed it before?* she questioned herself. *Probably because I was too busy kicking his sexy ass.*
Then she realized he was looking at her and she blushed, flashed an embarrassed smile and glued her eyes to her feet. "So what to do now? I don't have a class tomorrow morning so I can stay out for a while." she said, trying desperately to change the subject. *Oh, yeah, that's a good start, Buffy. Make it sound like you want to sleep with him...although...stop it! Bad Buffy, bad!*
Spike grinned at the thought of Buffy ogling him, which, to be honest, he didn't really mind. Deciding to turn on the charm, he answered her question. "I'm game for anything as long as you're there with me."
Buffy felt her heart flutter and was sure that Spike had heard it. *No, I can't do this,* she scolded herself mentally. *I can't fall for Spike. That's, like, illegal or something. But a little fun never hurt anyone.* Glancing up at Spike, she smiled. "Let's get outta here," she said. "We can roam the streets looking for our own entertainment."
Spike smiled and nodded. Standing up, he offered her his arm, which she linked hers through. *This is so weird, but it feels almost right.* she thought as they left the Bronze.
They wandered through the town, staking the occasional vamp or two before going to sit at a small coffee shop. They spent a couple hours there, nursing coffees which neither of them liked, and chatting about nothing and everything.
Spike had told her more about his pasts, both human and vampiric, and Buffy had told him about her years as the Slayer and even before that. Before they knew it, they had become friends, confidantes, and had things in common that they'd never expected.
They left the shop, or rather they were kicked out, and Spike offered to walk Buffy home. She accepted, glad to have the company and set off toward her house.
A chilly breeze passed through the air and Buffy shivered slightly, cursing herself for forgetting to bring her jacket that night. She ran her hands against her bare arms and Spike took notice.
"You cold, Slayer?" he asked.
"No, I'm fine." she smiled at him.
"Don't pull any of that 'I'm fine' crap," he said, removing his duster. "Next thing you know, you'll be in bed with pneumonia." He helped her put the jacket on and she wrapped it around herself. She was practically swimming in it, it was so big.
Spike looked at her and laughed. "Just a little big, but it'll keep you warm." he said.
"Thanks." she said with a slight smile. She could smell his cologne on the jacket and smiled to herself. As much as she'd have hated to admit it before, she liked hanging out with Spike. She was comfortable around him and didn't have to put on any masks. He knew her well, which was kind of creepy, but also kind of consoling to have someone who understood her so completely.
*Oh my god, I'm doing it!* she panicked. *I'm falling for Spike.* She glanced at the man walking beside her. He was a soulless demon, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to care. *You've been hurt too many times, Buffy. Don't go down this road again.*
Spike kept a straight face, but inside was smiling. He knew he'd gotten the Slayer thinking about them; all night he'd spent trying to prove he'd changed for her and it had worked. Telling stories of his past as William made him seem more human to her, he guessed. He could smell her nervousness and fear and couldn't help but share the same emotions.
They arrived at her door and Buffy removed the duster, handing it back to him. "Thanks," she said.
"For what?" he asked, putting his jacket back on.
"For the jacket, genius." she replied.
"Oh, it's nothing. Not like I needed it or anything." he smirked, feeling slightly embarrassed for sounding like an idiot.
"And thanks for tonight," she added. "It was...fun."
"Yeah, it's been a blast." he said. "We should--"
He was interrupted as Buffy placed her hands on his neck and pulled him into a kiss. Spike froze with surprise but soon began kissing her in return. He put his hands on her back and pulled her closer. He pulled away from her, regretfully, but she needed to breathe sooner or later.
"Spike." she whispered breathlessly, standing on her tiptoes to rest her forehead against his.
"Buffy." he whispered back.
"Why am I doing this?" she asked. "Am I crazy?"
"I hope so," he replied. "That would make me crazy too, and it would explain things."
"Like what?" she asked quietly.
"Like why I love you." he answered. "Why I can't think of anything else but you."
Buffy stared into his eyes. Did she want to get into this kind of relationship with Spike? He seemed like the jealous boyfriend type. Like if he caught her talking to Ben or a classmate he'd get angry. Or maybe she was wrong. Maybe he'd just feel sad and unworthy of her attention like he had when Dru returned to Angelus, or when he'd caught her with the Chaos demon. No matter how much he adored Drusilla, she'd find ways to make him jealous and hurt him. Buffy promised herself she wouldn't do that to him. She knew he definitely wouldn't do that to her.
"Something on your mind, Slayer?" he asked for the second time that night.
"You." she replied this time, smiling at him. Then she kissed him.
~~ The End ~~
