A/N: Woo-hoo! A new chapter!
Spike sat restlessly in the cushiony depths of his easy chair, waiting anxiously for his new roomate to return home. While she'd been at the shop, he'd spent the day cleaning and fixing things up, making the crypt fit for the likes of Anya. He'd cleared the refrigerator to make room for human food and had recovered an old chest from the rubble of the lower chamber, realizing that she'd need a place to keep her belongings once she retrieved them. He'd also cleaned up the shower; a fresh sheet now hung from the still-rusty hooks, the walls and floor had been rid of the algae, and the moldy soap had been replaced by a new and hairless bar. And it had taken nearly two hours of scrubbing to get the watermelon-chlorine smell to dissipate, but he'd managed to do that as well. He couldn't wait to see what Anya thought of the changes.
'She'll be happy to know she has a safe place to shower now,' he thought bemusedly, remembering her disgust at the state of the bathing area that morning. 'I just hope she's picked up her clothes and some food. It'd make it a hell of a lot easier for her if she had her things here.'
Just as he finished that thought, the crypt door burst open and Anya stumbled in, weighed down by two enormous duffle bags. Spike was on his feet in two seconds flat, and at her side helping her with the clothes-filled monsters.
"Here, pet, I got 'em," he told her as he took them out of her rapidly weakening grasp.
"Thank you," she said, smiling gratefully. "I see your chivalry still hasn't run out."
Spike let out a strained laugh from beneath the bags as he set them down next to the bier. "I haven't forgotten *everything* that was pounded into my head back in the Victorian days." He stood up and grimaced, rolling his shoulders. "God, what have you got in there, Anya? Those things must be a hundred pounds each."
She shrugged, tilting her head. "Oh, not too much. Just the basics. You know, clothes, shoes, an iron, towels, shampoo, a pillow and blanket, silverware, plates, cups, some videos, a few-- hey!" She interrupted herself. "You cleaned!"
He grinned. "You noticed."
She nodded, looking around. "It looks great. Everything's so organized and neat." She walked over to the TV and swiped her fingers across it, smiling at the lack of dust. "Did this take you a long time?"
He shook his head in the affirmative. "Yeah. I spent the entire day straightening things up. Figured now's as good a time as any to get the spring cleaning done, what with you movin' in for awhile."
"How about the shower?" she asked. "Did you get to clean that, too?"
He laughed. "'S one of the first things I got to. Most important of all."
She smiled at him. "It's so nice of you to do all that for me, to make me feel at home. I really appreciate it."
He returned her warm expression. "No problem at all. I treat my guests right, especially those that happen to be attractive and forthright women."
She let out a soft laugh. "Well, you make an excellent host. I'm sure I'm going to enjoy staying here very much."
He nodded. "I hope you do."
They were quiet for a moment after this flirtily sweet exchange, before Spike asked, "So, pet, do you wanna unpack now or do you wanna wait until after you eat?"
Anya placed a hand over her stomach and groaned. "I am absolutely *famished*, I'll definitely wait until after I-- damnit!" Her face fell as the realization hit her: "I forgot to take food! I took everything you need to have a nice meal except for the food!"
He laughed. "'S okay, Anya. You can go shopping tomorrow."
"But what about tonight?" she asked. "I haven't had a thing to eat all day and I'm about ready to starve."
Spike thought a moment. "You wanna go out? To the Bronze, maybe? I've been craving a good burger lately and theirs are the best in town."
She shook her head. "I'd love to, but I don't have any money with me right now."
He shrugged. "My treat, then. I don't mind paying."
She smiled. "Are you sure?"
He nodded. "Of course."
"Well, all right then," she relented. "But let's go now, okay?"
"Okay."
Spike sat restlessly in the cushiony depths of his easy chair, waiting anxiously for his new roomate to return home. While she'd been at the shop, he'd spent the day cleaning and fixing things up, making the crypt fit for the likes of Anya. He'd cleared the refrigerator to make room for human food and had recovered an old chest from the rubble of the lower chamber, realizing that she'd need a place to keep her belongings once she retrieved them. He'd also cleaned up the shower; a fresh sheet now hung from the still-rusty hooks, the walls and floor had been rid of the algae, and the moldy soap had been replaced by a new and hairless bar. And it had taken nearly two hours of scrubbing to get the watermelon-chlorine smell to dissipate, but he'd managed to do that as well. He couldn't wait to see what Anya thought of the changes.
'She'll be happy to know she has a safe place to shower now,' he thought bemusedly, remembering her disgust at the state of the bathing area that morning. 'I just hope she's picked up her clothes and some food. It'd make it a hell of a lot easier for her if she had her things here.'
Just as he finished that thought, the crypt door burst open and Anya stumbled in, weighed down by two enormous duffle bags. Spike was on his feet in two seconds flat, and at her side helping her with the clothes-filled monsters.
"Here, pet, I got 'em," he told her as he took them out of her rapidly weakening grasp.
"Thank you," she said, smiling gratefully. "I see your chivalry still hasn't run out."
Spike let out a strained laugh from beneath the bags as he set them down next to the bier. "I haven't forgotten *everything* that was pounded into my head back in the Victorian days." He stood up and grimaced, rolling his shoulders. "God, what have you got in there, Anya? Those things must be a hundred pounds each."
She shrugged, tilting her head. "Oh, not too much. Just the basics. You know, clothes, shoes, an iron, towels, shampoo, a pillow and blanket, silverware, plates, cups, some videos, a few-- hey!" She interrupted herself. "You cleaned!"
He grinned. "You noticed."
She nodded, looking around. "It looks great. Everything's so organized and neat." She walked over to the TV and swiped her fingers across it, smiling at the lack of dust. "Did this take you a long time?"
He shook his head in the affirmative. "Yeah. I spent the entire day straightening things up. Figured now's as good a time as any to get the spring cleaning done, what with you movin' in for awhile."
"How about the shower?" she asked. "Did you get to clean that, too?"
He laughed. "'S one of the first things I got to. Most important of all."
She smiled at him. "It's so nice of you to do all that for me, to make me feel at home. I really appreciate it."
He returned her warm expression. "No problem at all. I treat my guests right, especially those that happen to be attractive and forthright women."
She let out a soft laugh. "Well, you make an excellent host. I'm sure I'm going to enjoy staying here very much."
He nodded. "I hope you do."
They were quiet for a moment after this flirtily sweet exchange, before Spike asked, "So, pet, do you wanna unpack now or do you wanna wait until after you eat?"
Anya placed a hand over her stomach and groaned. "I am absolutely *famished*, I'll definitely wait until after I-- damnit!" Her face fell as the realization hit her: "I forgot to take food! I took everything you need to have a nice meal except for the food!"
He laughed. "'S okay, Anya. You can go shopping tomorrow."
"But what about tonight?" she asked. "I haven't had a thing to eat all day and I'm about ready to starve."
Spike thought a moment. "You wanna go out? To the Bronze, maybe? I've been craving a good burger lately and theirs are the best in town."
She shook her head. "I'd love to, but I don't have any money with me right now."
He shrugged. "My treat, then. I don't mind paying."
She smiled. "Are you sure?"
He nodded. "Of course."
"Well, all right then," she relented. "But let's go now, okay?"
"Okay."
