Title: Complications
Author: Spikira
Rating: PG...maybe PG-13, just an eensy weensy bad word. :)
Disclaimer: I bow before the Joss Whedon god...the Buffyverse is not mine!
Summary: Everybody's favorite bleach-blonde vamp is having Buffy issues *oh, the shock!* Post-Older and Far Away, S/B with some help from the lovely Tara! Please R&R, I have muses to feed! :)
Feedback: Oooh...yes please! I welcome it all...the good, the bad, and the ugly!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Life is a glorious cycle of song, a medley of extemporanea; And love is a thing that can never go wrong! ...And I am Marie of Roumania." -Dorothy Parker
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"You have got to be bleedin' kiddin' me..." Spike growled. The young witch's growing smile turned into a full-fledged grin. "She already bloody told you?"
"Well, actually yes." Tara couldn't suppress a small chuckle. Teasing him the past couple of days had been
the only true guilty pleasure she'd had recently...well, since Willow...not that that was guilty...only fun. No, no, not fun...*Stop thinking about that...*
Spike looked befuddled, which was a unique look for him. Made his features look less hard, less threatening. He should look befuddled more often.
"I suppose your goin' to give me a lecture, then..." Spike couldn't quite meet her eyes.
"Of course not." Tara motioned for him to sit back down on his bed. She really, truly hadn't intended to walk in on them. Honestly. And she wasn't planning on staying. But, seeing as how Buffy had sprinted out to go take care of the N'yat demon Tara had seen wreaking havoc in the park, and whispered a hasty "You can tell him..." before slamming the crypt door closed, Tara couldn't see any reason not to stick around.
Spike was patting his shirt, unbuttoned except for the last two. His hands moved to his black jeans...what *was* he looking for? Ohhh...
Tara raised her eyebrows as the vampire pulled a crumpled pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket. He tapped the pack and grabbed one in his teeth...long, pale, like his fingers. Out of courtesy, * courteous vampire?* he gestured to Tara with the pack, offering her one. She shook her head. He shrugged, flicked his lighter, and in seconds was puffing on the cigarette as if his life *unlife* depended on it.
"Soo..." He ventured after a moment or two. "No lecture, no harsh words for the big bad Spike. Mind tellin' me why you're still here?"
Tara smiled.
"Know what tomorrow is?" She was very pleased with herself.
"Somethin' tells me this is a trick question..." Spike held his cigarette in his left hand, absentmindedly scratching his forehead, the firey stick inches away from his skin.
"All right...survey says: Thursday!" He chuckled at his own joke.
"Valentine's Day."
Spike raised his eyebrows. Puzzled. Or was it surprised? Either way, another good look on him. *Anything that doesn't involve anger or evil is a good look on him.*
"And?..." Spike wasn't biting. *Ohhh...how punny...*
"And..." Tara wasn't letting him off that easily.
Spike sighed. His shoulders completely collapsed, his eyes glazing over into what the witch could only assume was his own personal *broody* look.
"Listen, hun." Spike was eyeing his cigarette as if it was the source of all his problems. "Buffy and I might not exactly be at each others throats anymore...so to speak. But we're not up to the 'tokens of love and affection' stage. Not even bloody close." He murmured as an afterthought.
Tara just looked at him.
"You know, it's not like we couldn't be." Spike spat, as if she had said something. "Well, no, I guess we really couldn't ever be...but damn, I mean...come on! There's only so much a bloke can take! Nothing bleedin' works. Treatin' her like shit, treatin' her like a princess, treatin' her like my next meal or like a normal girl. I'm not good at this. This...ya know...this *boyfriend* stuff. Not that I'm her boyfriend. Sort of, not really...anyway -- ya know -- this acting like a gent. I'm out of practice, I am." He pouted, yearning for sympathy. Tara remained impassive.
"It's not like I haven't been trying. But bloody hell. I don't have anything to go on! Dru? Please! With her it was all 'Oooh...Spikey...look at the stars! The stars sing for the blood moon, Spikey...Miss Edith likes the stars.' And then we'd eat a few people. Uncomplicated, that what that was."
Tara had to suppress a laugh. *Blood moon? Yeah, sure...not complicated...*
"I know what you're thinking. Buffy's human, can't be hard to deal with a human after a hundred years taking care of a loony vampiress..."
"I wasn't thinking that at all." Tara finally spoke. But her interjection barely managed to slow down Spike's train of thoughts.
"...everyone thinks that. But evil with evil, it just...fits. I mean, it's easier. Makes more sense. You hunt, you drink, you kill...you dance under the bleedin' stars. That's the simple life. But with a human...with Buffy...it's like, to dance under the stars, she's got to be in the mood. Or, she's gotta feel like killing. Want to hunt. It's a choice. With evil, though...with Dru, it was what we were. Instinct. We did it because, that's what we did. I'm not used to this. Controlling all the instincts. I say mean things, I hurt her. But it's because...that's what I'm supposed to do. What my insides are saying to do." A pause.
"But at the same time...there's....somethin'...somethin' different. New. Tellin' me not to. Tellin' me it's wrong. That somethin' is bloody wrong! Me, a poof vampire with a conscience! And it's tellin' me to...to comfort her, help her. Love her." His eyes darted down suddenly. He seemed embarassed.
"It's all so bloody complicated -- *she's* so damn complicated." He trailed off. Silence.
Tara had expected the torrent of words. She figured Spike wanted to...release his anxieties. But she hadn't expected him to bare his soul. *His soul?*
"Sorry." Spike was looking right at her now. He dropped the cigarette on the crypt floor, grinding it out with his boot heel.
"Don't apologize." Tara smiled reassuringly. "But I'd like you to do something for me."
The vampire looked her straight in the eyes. "What?"
"Re-think Valentine's Day." She rose, slung her purse over her shoulder. "And...tell Buffy everything you just told me."
Spike's eyes never left her face.
"I figured you'd say that."
Tara grinned.
"Good luck, Spike."
She turned to leave, her shoes padding lightly, but echoing loudly in the tomb.
"What makes you think I'm going to do it?"
She stopped in her path.
"My witchy psychic powers tell me..." She paused, looking over her shoulder at him. "that you like the complications."
He caught her gaze once more. *Once more, with feeling.*
He smiled.
A real smile.
"Happy Valentine's Day, witch."
"You too, Spike."
~*~The End~*~
Author: Spikira
Rating: PG...maybe PG-13, just an eensy weensy bad word. :)
Disclaimer: I bow before the Joss Whedon god...the Buffyverse is not mine!
Summary: Everybody's favorite bleach-blonde vamp is having Buffy issues *oh, the shock!* Post-Older and Far Away, S/B with some help from the lovely Tara! Please R&R, I have muses to feed! :)
Feedback: Oooh...yes please! I welcome it all...the good, the bad, and the ugly!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Life is a glorious cycle of song, a medley of extemporanea; And love is a thing that can never go wrong! ...And I am Marie of Roumania." -Dorothy Parker
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"You have got to be bleedin' kiddin' me..." Spike growled. The young witch's growing smile turned into a full-fledged grin. "She already bloody told you?"
"Well, actually yes." Tara couldn't suppress a small chuckle. Teasing him the past couple of days had been
the only true guilty pleasure she'd had recently...well, since Willow...not that that was guilty...only fun. No, no, not fun...*Stop thinking about that...*
Spike looked befuddled, which was a unique look for him. Made his features look less hard, less threatening. He should look befuddled more often.
"I suppose your goin' to give me a lecture, then..." Spike couldn't quite meet her eyes.
"Of course not." Tara motioned for him to sit back down on his bed. She really, truly hadn't intended to walk in on them. Honestly. And she wasn't planning on staying. But, seeing as how Buffy had sprinted out to go take care of the N'yat demon Tara had seen wreaking havoc in the park, and whispered a hasty "You can tell him..." before slamming the crypt door closed, Tara couldn't see any reason not to stick around.
Spike was patting his shirt, unbuttoned except for the last two. His hands moved to his black jeans...what *was* he looking for? Ohhh...
Tara raised her eyebrows as the vampire pulled a crumpled pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket. He tapped the pack and grabbed one in his teeth...long, pale, like his fingers. Out of courtesy, * courteous vampire?* he gestured to Tara with the pack, offering her one. She shook her head. He shrugged, flicked his lighter, and in seconds was puffing on the cigarette as if his life *unlife* depended on it.
"Soo..." He ventured after a moment or two. "No lecture, no harsh words for the big bad Spike. Mind tellin' me why you're still here?"
Tara smiled.
"Know what tomorrow is?" She was very pleased with herself.
"Somethin' tells me this is a trick question..." Spike held his cigarette in his left hand, absentmindedly scratching his forehead, the firey stick inches away from his skin.
"All right...survey says: Thursday!" He chuckled at his own joke.
"Valentine's Day."
Spike raised his eyebrows. Puzzled. Or was it surprised? Either way, another good look on him. *Anything that doesn't involve anger or evil is a good look on him.*
"And?..." Spike wasn't biting. *Ohhh...how punny...*
"And..." Tara wasn't letting him off that easily.
Spike sighed. His shoulders completely collapsed, his eyes glazing over into what the witch could only assume was his own personal *broody* look.
"Listen, hun." Spike was eyeing his cigarette as if it was the source of all his problems. "Buffy and I might not exactly be at each others throats anymore...so to speak. But we're not up to the 'tokens of love and affection' stage. Not even bloody close." He murmured as an afterthought.
Tara just looked at him.
"You know, it's not like we couldn't be." Spike spat, as if she had said something. "Well, no, I guess we really couldn't ever be...but damn, I mean...come on! There's only so much a bloke can take! Nothing bleedin' works. Treatin' her like shit, treatin' her like a princess, treatin' her like my next meal or like a normal girl. I'm not good at this. This...ya know...this *boyfriend* stuff. Not that I'm her boyfriend. Sort of, not really...anyway -- ya know -- this acting like a gent. I'm out of practice, I am." He pouted, yearning for sympathy. Tara remained impassive.
"It's not like I haven't been trying. But bloody hell. I don't have anything to go on! Dru? Please! With her it was all 'Oooh...Spikey...look at the stars! The stars sing for the blood moon, Spikey...Miss Edith likes the stars.' And then we'd eat a few people. Uncomplicated, that what that was."
Tara had to suppress a laugh. *Blood moon? Yeah, sure...not complicated...*
"I know what you're thinking. Buffy's human, can't be hard to deal with a human after a hundred years taking care of a loony vampiress..."
"I wasn't thinking that at all." Tara finally spoke. But her interjection barely managed to slow down Spike's train of thoughts.
"...everyone thinks that. But evil with evil, it just...fits. I mean, it's easier. Makes more sense. You hunt, you drink, you kill...you dance under the bleedin' stars. That's the simple life. But with a human...with Buffy...it's like, to dance under the stars, she's got to be in the mood. Or, she's gotta feel like killing. Want to hunt. It's a choice. With evil, though...with Dru, it was what we were. Instinct. We did it because, that's what we did. I'm not used to this. Controlling all the instincts. I say mean things, I hurt her. But it's because...that's what I'm supposed to do. What my insides are saying to do." A pause.
"But at the same time...there's....somethin'...somethin' different. New. Tellin' me not to. Tellin' me it's wrong. That somethin' is bloody wrong! Me, a poof vampire with a conscience! And it's tellin' me to...to comfort her, help her. Love her." His eyes darted down suddenly. He seemed embarassed.
"It's all so bloody complicated -- *she's* so damn complicated." He trailed off. Silence.
Tara had expected the torrent of words. She figured Spike wanted to...release his anxieties. But she hadn't expected him to bare his soul. *His soul?*
"Sorry." Spike was looking right at her now. He dropped the cigarette on the crypt floor, grinding it out with his boot heel.
"Don't apologize." Tara smiled reassuringly. "But I'd like you to do something for me."
The vampire looked her straight in the eyes. "What?"
"Re-think Valentine's Day." She rose, slung her purse over her shoulder. "And...tell Buffy everything you just told me."
Spike's eyes never left her face.
"I figured you'd say that."
Tara grinned.
"Good luck, Spike."
She turned to leave, her shoes padding lightly, but echoing loudly in the tomb.
"What makes you think I'm going to do it?"
She stopped in her path.
"My witchy psychic powers tell me..." She paused, looking over her shoulder at him. "that you like the complications."
He caught her gaze once more. *Once more, with feeling.*
He smiled.
A real smile.
"Happy Valentine's Day, witch."
"You too, Spike."
~*~The End~*~