Justifiable
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Post DMP - Buffy forgets herself and her rules for a moment - If only she was just some girl, and he was just some guy...
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THE TALK
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"And then he was like, 'No! Not like that.'. Like I'm supposed to know what to do with cow innards from my last job or something.." Buffy was emphatically waving her arms around to emphasize the point.
"I'm sure you were doing just fine luv." The hand that he had stretched along the back of the couch behind her head began to move of its own accord. His fingers gently running through her hair.
She stilled for a moment, her eyelids sliding half closed with the fatigue he knew was chasing quickly on her heels.
"Besides, if people were meant to be good at working fast food they wouldn't get spots from grease or gain weight from fat."
She wrinkled her nose. "I don't see what cow guts has to do with the burgers anyway. Why'd I get stuck with the crap jobs?"
His hand stopped it's rhythmic stroking and he shifted his weight so he was turned towards her.
"You wouldn't have to do the crap jobs if you weren't working there." It was matter of fact, but yet laced with concern and frustration.
"Spike.." Her voice took on that tone of gentle warning he had become to hate. It was the tone telling him he was just about to cross the line.
Some days she'd open right up and talk for hours. It was as if...as if they were a real couple. But as soon as he became too involved in what she was saying, too 'boyfriendly' like, she'd pull out her secret weapon. The Tone.
He was silent and she didn't need to see the twitching muscle in his jaw to know he was frustrated. She could read him like a book, he was always so open, never hiding anything. It made her feel cunning and manipulative, the way she could never be truthful around him..
"It's just..I'm used to being good at stuff y'know? I save the world and stuff. Suddenly I'm thrown into the world of 'Joe Normal's', what I've always wanted, and I can't deal." Whoa, were did that come from? Way too much sympathy for the vampire here, too much sharing..
"Never mind, forget I said that." She covered quickly.
He could feel her closing off, that would be the end of her therapy session today. She was slowly edging away from him, both physically and mentally.
"It's getting late..I should go."
"Buffy.." He didn't know what to say beyond that, his hand was latched onto her wrist. When did that happen? Metaphorically? Years ago.
She stood before him looking everywhere but into his eyes and he could feel the tiny shiver that ran through her body. Insecurity, how could he help with that?
He stood as well, dangerously invading her personal space.
"I'm serious Spike, I'm leaving." It was whispered so softly he barely caught it.
He nodded silently and cupped her face in his hand, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb. Slowly he closed the space between them and brought his lips to hers. Passion enveloped him, but love lead his way.
He ran his tongue lightly along her bottom lip and she opened easily to him with a tiny sigh. He did everything just the way he knew she loved, soft and gentle, fitting her mood. It wasn't a long kiss, but it was the kind that seemed to last forever and lingered on even after they separated.
She wobbled a little as he pulled away and he steadied her with a hand on her waist. With his eyes boring into hers, his voice came out low and husky.
"Right then luv, on your way."
She stiffened noticeably, was he asking her to leave?
"Unless.."
She knew what she wanted, knew how wrong it was..pros and cons were quickly weighed and her decision did not surprise her. Somewhere deep inside she'd known that if he made any attempt to get her to stay she would. God, she couldn't do anything right!
One lone tear was soon followed by others and somehow her arms found their way around his neck and her face buried itself into that place. That place where his neck and shoulder met that seemed like it was built just for her..
"Shh luv, you're ok. Everything will be ok." He ran his hands up and down her back, gently kneading as he felt tense spots and she was soon relaxed, her entire body leaning on him, sobbing quietly.
The truth was that it wasn't ok, it wasn't ok for her to be with him. It never would be ok. The Powers That Be had ordained it wrong. She killed his kind. He had no soul. And yet, despite it all, right here right now, she never wanted him to let her go.
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Post DMP - Buffy forgets herself and her rules for a moment - If only she was just some girl, and he was just some guy...
==========
THE TALK
==========
"And then he was like, 'No! Not like that.'. Like I'm supposed to know what to do with cow innards from my last job or something.." Buffy was emphatically waving her arms around to emphasize the point.
"I'm sure you were doing just fine luv." The hand that he had stretched along the back of the couch behind her head began to move of its own accord. His fingers gently running through her hair.
She stilled for a moment, her eyelids sliding half closed with the fatigue he knew was chasing quickly on her heels.
"Besides, if people were meant to be good at working fast food they wouldn't get spots from grease or gain weight from fat."
She wrinkled her nose. "I don't see what cow guts has to do with the burgers anyway. Why'd I get stuck with the crap jobs?"
His hand stopped it's rhythmic stroking and he shifted his weight so he was turned towards her.
"You wouldn't have to do the crap jobs if you weren't working there." It was matter of fact, but yet laced with concern and frustration.
"Spike.." Her voice took on that tone of gentle warning he had become to hate. It was the tone telling him he was just about to cross the line.
Some days she'd open right up and talk for hours. It was as if...as if they were a real couple. But as soon as he became too involved in what she was saying, too 'boyfriendly' like, she'd pull out her secret weapon. The Tone.
He was silent and she didn't need to see the twitching muscle in his jaw to know he was frustrated. She could read him like a book, he was always so open, never hiding anything. It made her feel cunning and manipulative, the way she could never be truthful around him..
"It's just..I'm used to being good at stuff y'know? I save the world and stuff. Suddenly I'm thrown into the world of 'Joe Normal's', what I've always wanted, and I can't deal." Whoa, were did that come from? Way too much sympathy for the vampire here, too much sharing..
"Never mind, forget I said that." She covered quickly.
He could feel her closing off, that would be the end of her therapy session today. She was slowly edging away from him, both physically and mentally.
"It's getting late..I should go."
"Buffy.." He didn't know what to say beyond that, his hand was latched onto her wrist. When did that happen? Metaphorically? Years ago.
She stood before him looking everywhere but into his eyes and he could feel the tiny shiver that ran through her body. Insecurity, how could he help with that?
He stood as well, dangerously invading her personal space.
"I'm serious Spike, I'm leaving." It was whispered so softly he barely caught it.
He nodded silently and cupped her face in his hand, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb. Slowly he closed the space between them and brought his lips to hers. Passion enveloped him, but love lead his way.
He ran his tongue lightly along her bottom lip and she opened easily to him with a tiny sigh. He did everything just the way he knew she loved, soft and gentle, fitting her mood. It wasn't a long kiss, but it was the kind that seemed to last forever and lingered on even after they separated.
She wobbled a little as he pulled away and he steadied her with a hand on her waist. With his eyes boring into hers, his voice came out low and husky.
"Right then luv, on your way."
She stiffened noticeably, was he asking her to leave?
"Unless.."
She knew what she wanted, knew how wrong it was..pros and cons were quickly weighed and her decision did not surprise her. Somewhere deep inside she'd known that if he made any attempt to get her to stay she would. God, she couldn't do anything right!
One lone tear was soon followed by others and somehow her arms found their way around his neck and her face buried itself into that place. That place where his neck and shoulder met that seemed like it was built just for her..
"Shh luv, you're ok. Everything will be ok." He ran his hands up and down her back, gently kneading as he felt tense spots and she was soon relaxed, her entire body leaning on him, sobbing quietly.
The truth was that it wasn't ok, it wasn't ok for her to be with him. It never would be ok. The Powers That Be had ordained it wrong. She killed his kind. He had no soul. And yet, despite it all, right here right now, she never wanted him to let her go.
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