Ok. Just calm down Buffy. You do NOT have a crush on Spike! Just keep saying that. I do not have a crush on Spike, I do not have a crush on Spike...It isn't working! Ok. All I need is a good nights sleep, then I'll be fine. Part of her believed it, and the second part wanted to slap the first part for believing it! Buffy slid the key into the lock of the oak door that enclosed the Summers' home. Before Buffy could drop her keys on the kitchen table, she was met by a pair of deep brown eyes.
"You're home late." Dawn said.
"Yeah, I was picking up my stuff at Spike's crypt. You know, the stuff that he stole." Buffy said nonchalantly. Dawn eyed her up and down, then said,
"Is your stuff invisible?" Buffy realized that it must have looked strange that she wasn't carrying anything,
"Oh. Spike and I had a minor disagreement, so I told him to send me my stuff in the mail. Besides, it isn't any of your buisiness anyway." Buffy took off her black snakeskin coat and gently set it down on the sofa. Next, she kicked her boots off and made a break for the stairs, only to be stopped by the same pair of brown eyes.
"Aren't you even the least bit interested on how I got home?" Dawn shrugged. Buffy sighed and said,
"Fine, Dawn. How did you get home?"
"Xander and Anya drove me. Not that it matters. You were too busy off flirting with Spike anyways."
"I was not flirting with Spike!! He's gross and, and...icky."
"I know. You told me before." Dawn blocked her sister's path every time she tried to move.
"Ok. Yeah. Fine. Now, I've had a long and tiring day. Please let me go upstairs." Buffy sighed heavily.
"Ok. Only because you look horrible." Dawn said. Buffy didn't have the strength to give up a fight, so she just dragged herself up the stairs to her room. Buffy didn't sleep there often anymore. Not since her mom had died. Buffy mostly slept in her bed. It seemed like the right thing to do. But tonight, she just wanted the comforts of her old bed.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Dawn was sitting on the sofa watching re-runs of I Love Lucy. Thankfully, Buffy had not noticed the mess she had made of various snacks, popcorn, and soda. Dawn wasn't even remotely tired from the party, and it was too late to call any of her friends from school. Then the little light in her head flickered on. She remembered that school wasn't the only place she had friends.
End Part 4
Dawn tip-toed upstairs to make sure her sister was asleep, then just as quietly, she tip-toed back down and over to the phone. She picked up the reciever and dialed the number. The other end rang a couple times before the voice answered.
"Hi. It's me...no! ME!! Dawn! Geez...Aren't you supposed to be awake now? Yeah, I know it's way past my bed time, ask me if I care. Look, I know this is gonna sound weird but, could you come over? No, our house is not being attacked by Feryal demons. Just, come over. Why? I'm bored. Pleeeeaassseee??? Pretty please with a cherry on top?! Ok, pretty please with a cherry and sprinkles?! Yay!! Ok. Bye."
Dawn hung up the phone and began to tidy up the living room. As quietly as possible of course. About twenty minutes later there was a knock.
"Geez! What took you so long?" Dawn asked.
"I stopped for a bite-" Dawn's eyes widened.
"Fries?" Spike asked as he held out the McDonalds bag. Dawn stole it from his hands and said,
"You are a very nice man! God I'm starving! The cake and crackers I had at the Bronze didn't exactly count as dinner, and Buffy was too tired and agitated to make anything."
"Don't you cook?" The vampire asked as he flopped into the recliner.
"Well, I tried once. At Thanksgiving, I tried to make the turkey and surprise Buffy and mom, but that didn't work out."
"What happened?"
"Lets just say, it involved a pot of water and a fire extinguisher." Dawn said as she stuffed her mouth with fries. She could see that Spike was still curious, and she decided to elaborate,
"The turkey blew up. Apparently you're supposed to defrost those things..." Spike smiled. Not his usual cocky smart ass smile, but a genuine smile that could light up a room. Dawn noticed and said,
"You should do that more often."
"Buy you fries?"
"No, smile. You'd be surprised how a guy's smile can make Buffy go nuts." She hinted. Spike's mouth twisted into a half smile as he said,
"Thanks, nibblet. I'll have to remember that."
Buffy awoke to the muffled sound of laughter downstairs and decided to go investigate. The slayer silently shut the door behind her and hung her head over the railing. Her eye's spotted her sister sitting on the sofa eating fries. Buffy scanned the rest of the room until her eyes rested on Spike.
Oh. Spike. Ok. Go back to bed...Wait a minute!! SPIKE! What the hell? Part of her wanted to just sit by the railing and listen to their conversation, and the other part of her wanted to go downstairs and investigate farther. That part won. Buffy's feet patted down the stairs and rounded the corner.
"Hey guys. Whatcha doin'?"
"Buffy! Oh, hi! Spike was just here to see if...umm..." Dawn trailed off.
"It's ok." Buffy said that outloud. She didn't know if it was a good thing or not. She dug herself in deeper by finishing with,
"He can stay." Buffy climbed up onto the couch next to her sister and dug into the fry box.
"So," The Slayer started, "what are we talking about?"
"Spike was telling me about the time he-" She caught Spike glaring at her, telling her not to say a word.
"He was telling me about the time he went to...the...grocery store...yeah." Buffy thought it would have been fun to see Spike try to get himself out of that one, but decided not to torment him any farther.
"Dawn, I think it's way past your bed time. Go upstairs and go to bed." Buffy was expecting a battle, but didn't get one.
"Ok. Night Spike. Thanks for the fries." She said as she hugged the vampire. At first, he didn't know what to do, but then just hugged back.
"You're welcome nibblet." He said. Buffy couldn't help but smile. Dawn trotted up the stairs to her room. As soon as Buffy heard the door shut, she said,
"Man. What did you do to her? Usually I would have been up for another half hour fighting with her."
"Magic touch." Spike said as he blew on his fingernails. Buffy got up and walked over to his recliner and sat down on the arm of it. Spike shifted uncomfortably in his place.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier." Buffy blushed a little at the fact of her appology. "Willow told me that I should be more considerate towards you. I'm not very good at it am I?"
"Nope."
"It's just that, you drive me crazy sometimes..." Buffy fought with herself on if she should say the next part or not. She decided that it wouldn't hurt. Much.
"You drive me crazy, and I don't know if that's a good thing or not." Spike's eyes widened a little as he said,
"What are you saying, Buffy?"
"I'm saying that...I don't know how to put it in words...I just feel that having you around, is kind of like a security blanket." Spike was confused, and Buffy knew it. Before she could stop herself, she leaned down and kissed him. When she finally pulled away, she said,
"That pretty much sums it up."
TBC
There. I told you things were heating up! It isn't over yet!
"You're home late." Dawn said.
"Yeah, I was picking up my stuff at Spike's crypt. You know, the stuff that he stole." Buffy said nonchalantly. Dawn eyed her up and down, then said,
"Is your stuff invisible?" Buffy realized that it must have looked strange that she wasn't carrying anything,
"Oh. Spike and I had a minor disagreement, so I told him to send me my stuff in the mail. Besides, it isn't any of your buisiness anyway." Buffy took off her black snakeskin coat and gently set it down on the sofa. Next, she kicked her boots off and made a break for the stairs, only to be stopped by the same pair of brown eyes.
"Aren't you even the least bit interested on how I got home?" Dawn shrugged. Buffy sighed and said,
"Fine, Dawn. How did you get home?"
"Xander and Anya drove me. Not that it matters. You were too busy off flirting with Spike anyways."
"I was not flirting with Spike!! He's gross and, and...icky."
"I know. You told me before." Dawn blocked her sister's path every time she tried to move.
"Ok. Yeah. Fine. Now, I've had a long and tiring day. Please let me go upstairs." Buffy sighed heavily.
"Ok. Only because you look horrible." Dawn said. Buffy didn't have the strength to give up a fight, so she just dragged herself up the stairs to her room. Buffy didn't sleep there often anymore. Not since her mom had died. Buffy mostly slept in her bed. It seemed like the right thing to do. But tonight, she just wanted the comforts of her old bed.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Dawn was sitting on the sofa watching re-runs of I Love Lucy. Thankfully, Buffy had not noticed the mess she had made of various snacks, popcorn, and soda. Dawn wasn't even remotely tired from the party, and it was too late to call any of her friends from school. Then the little light in her head flickered on. She remembered that school wasn't the only place she had friends.
End Part 4
Dawn tip-toed upstairs to make sure her sister was asleep, then just as quietly, she tip-toed back down and over to the phone. She picked up the reciever and dialed the number. The other end rang a couple times before the voice answered.
"Hi. It's me...no! ME!! Dawn! Geez...Aren't you supposed to be awake now? Yeah, I know it's way past my bed time, ask me if I care. Look, I know this is gonna sound weird but, could you come over? No, our house is not being attacked by Feryal demons. Just, come over. Why? I'm bored. Pleeeeaassseee??? Pretty please with a cherry on top?! Ok, pretty please with a cherry and sprinkles?! Yay!! Ok. Bye."
Dawn hung up the phone and began to tidy up the living room. As quietly as possible of course. About twenty minutes later there was a knock.
"Geez! What took you so long?" Dawn asked.
"I stopped for a bite-" Dawn's eyes widened.
"Fries?" Spike asked as he held out the McDonalds bag. Dawn stole it from his hands and said,
"You are a very nice man! God I'm starving! The cake and crackers I had at the Bronze didn't exactly count as dinner, and Buffy was too tired and agitated to make anything."
"Don't you cook?" The vampire asked as he flopped into the recliner.
"Well, I tried once. At Thanksgiving, I tried to make the turkey and surprise Buffy and mom, but that didn't work out."
"What happened?"
"Lets just say, it involved a pot of water and a fire extinguisher." Dawn said as she stuffed her mouth with fries. She could see that Spike was still curious, and she decided to elaborate,
"The turkey blew up. Apparently you're supposed to defrost those things..." Spike smiled. Not his usual cocky smart ass smile, but a genuine smile that could light up a room. Dawn noticed and said,
"You should do that more often."
"Buy you fries?"
"No, smile. You'd be surprised how a guy's smile can make Buffy go nuts." She hinted. Spike's mouth twisted into a half smile as he said,
"Thanks, nibblet. I'll have to remember that."
Buffy awoke to the muffled sound of laughter downstairs and decided to go investigate. The slayer silently shut the door behind her and hung her head over the railing. Her eye's spotted her sister sitting on the sofa eating fries. Buffy scanned the rest of the room until her eyes rested on Spike.
Oh. Spike. Ok. Go back to bed...Wait a minute!! SPIKE! What the hell? Part of her wanted to just sit by the railing and listen to their conversation, and the other part of her wanted to go downstairs and investigate farther. That part won. Buffy's feet patted down the stairs and rounded the corner.
"Hey guys. Whatcha doin'?"
"Buffy! Oh, hi! Spike was just here to see if...umm..." Dawn trailed off.
"It's ok." Buffy said that outloud. She didn't know if it was a good thing or not. She dug herself in deeper by finishing with,
"He can stay." Buffy climbed up onto the couch next to her sister and dug into the fry box.
"So," The Slayer started, "what are we talking about?"
"Spike was telling me about the time he-" She caught Spike glaring at her, telling her not to say a word.
"He was telling me about the time he went to...the...grocery store...yeah." Buffy thought it would have been fun to see Spike try to get himself out of that one, but decided not to torment him any farther.
"Dawn, I think it's way past your bed time. Go upstairs and go to bed." Buffy was expecting a battle, but didn't get one.
"Ok. Night Spike. Thanks for the fries." She said as she hugged the vampire. At first, he didn't know what to do, but then just hugged back.
"You're welcome nibblet." He said. Buffy couldn't help but smile. Dawn trotted up the stairs to her room. As soon as Buffy heard the door shut, she said,
"Man. What did you do to her? Usually I would have been up for another half hour fighting with her."
"Magic touch." Spike said as he blew on his fingernails. Buffy got up and walked over to his recliner and sat down on the arm of it. Spike shifted uncomfortably in his place.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier." Buffy blushed a little at the fact of her appology. "Willow told me that I should be more considerate towards you. I'm not very good at it am I?"
"Nope."
"It's just that, you drive me crazy sometimes..." Buffy fought with herself on if she should say the next part or not. She decided that it wouldn't hurt. Much.
"You drive me crazy, and I don't know if that's a good thing or not." Spike's eyes widened a little as he said,
"What are you saying, Buffy?"
"I'm saying that...I don't know how to put it in words...I just feel that having you around, is kind of like a security blanket." Spike was confused, and Buffy knew it. Before she could stop herself, she leaned down and kissed him. When she finally pulled away, she said,
"That pretty much sums it up."
TBC
There. I told you things were heating up! It isn't over yet!