Buffy's heart started pounding like crazy. "Spike? What the hell are you
doing here?"
Spike inhaled deeply on the cigarette between his lips and grinned. "Well, that wasn't really the reaction I was hoping for. I was thinking something more along the lines of 'Thanks, Spike, for saving my life'. Again."
Buffy stood, dusting the ashes off of the leather jacket. "I could have handled it . . . I was handling it. I didn't ask for any favors."
He smirked at her and flicked the cigarette butt on the ground. "Didn't look that way."
The two stood there in an awkward silence, unsure of what to say. "Where were you?" Buffy asked, wincing at her harsh tone. "Why didn't you tell me that you were leaving?"
Spike sighed deeply. "I didn't think that you'd wanna hear from me . . . not after . . . after what I did to you."
"Don't Spike. Just don't. I don't know if I can trust you again. I mean, I know why you did what you did. At least I think I do. But still . . . it hurts. You promised that you'd never leave, and you promised you'd never hurt me . . . why should I trust anything you tell me anymore?"
"Buffy. Look at me, look at my eyes and tell me that you think I could hurt you again. I wouldn't, Buffy. You know me."
She looked at him sadly. "I thought I did, but after this . . ."
"Can't you trust me?"
Buffy looked at him, anger and hurt mixed in her eyes. "I don't think so Spike. I just need time . . . time to think."
"Fine then. And if it isn't any bother, I'd like my duster back."
Buffy looked down at the duster she was wearing; Spike's duster. She'd worn it because it reminded her of him, and she really had missed him. But of course, she couldn't tell Spike that. Buffy removed the coat and tossed it over to him.
Buffy's face flushed and she turned her eyes to the ground in embarrassment. "I . . . uh . . . it has big pockets to keep weapons in. I figured that it was the best thing to carry them in when I went patrolling, and it's cold, and my other coat's at the dry cleaner's." Buffy realized that she was rambling, and switched to defense mode. "This doesn't mean . . ."
" . . . anything." Buffy looked up and found that Spike, and his duster, had vanished. Buffy shouted into the night air, frustrated.
"What, did you decide to leave again? How long do you think you'll be gone this time?! Five months?"
Buffy sighed and trudged towards home. She was weary from her close call with the vamp and her encounter with Spike. She just needed to think about why Spike was here, and what he was up to. He looked like he was hiding something, and whatever it was, it was big. Now all she had to do was to find some way to get that secret out of him.
TBC . . .
Spike inhaled deeply on the cigarette between his lips and grinned. "Well, that wasn't really the reaction I was hoping for. I was thinking something more along the lines of 'Thanks, Spike, for saving my life'. Again."
Buffy stood, dusting the ashes off of the leather jacket. "I could have handled it . . . I was handling it. I didn't ask for any favors."
He smirked at her and flicked the cigarette butt on the ground. "Didn't look that way."
The two stood there in an awkward silence, unsure of what to say. "Where were you?" Buffy asked, wincing at her harsh tone. "Why didn't you tell me that you were leaving?"
Spike sighed deeply. "I didn't think that you'd wanna hear from me . . . not after . . . after what I did to you."
"Don't Spike. Just don't. I don't know if I can trust you again. I mean, I know why you did what you did. At least I think I do. But still . . . it hurts. You promised that you'd never leave, and you promised you'd never hurt me . . . why should I trust anything you tell me anymore?"
"Buffy. Look at me, look at my eyes and tell me that you think I could hurt you again. I wouldn't, Buffy. You know me."
She looked at him sadly. "I thought I did, but after this . . ."
"Can't you trust me?"
Buffy looked at him, anger and hurt mixed in her eyes. "I don't think so Spike. I just need time . . . time to think."
"Fine then. And if it isn't any bother, I'd like my duster back."
Buffy looked down at the duster she was wearing; Spike's duster. She'd worn it because it reminded her of him, and she really had missed him. But of course, she couldn't tell Spike that. Buffy removed the coat and tossed it over to him.
Buffy's face flushed and she turned her eyes to the ground in embarrassment. "I . . . uh . . . it has big pockets to keep weapons in. I figured that it was the best thing to carry them in when I went patrolling, and it's cold, and my other coat's at the dry cleaner's." Buffy realized that she was rambling, and switched to defense mode. "This doesn't mean . . ."
" . . . anything." Buffy looked up and found that Spike, and his duster, had vanished. Buffy shouted into the night air, frustrated.
"What, did you decide to leave again? How long do you think you'll be gone this time?! Five months?"
Buffy sighed and trudged towards home. She was weary from her close call with the vamp and her encounter with Spike. She just needed to think about why Spike was here, and what he was up to. He looked like he was hiding something, and whatever it was, it was big. Now all she had to do was to find some way to get that secret out of him.
TBC . . .