Title: Just Good Friends
By: Chen
Rating: G as always
Spoilers: Kind of all the way to GONE
Disclaimer: ME owns all things Buffy. I do have a claim to Charlie though. Or better yet, the girl owns me.
A/N: Sequel to 'A Friend In Need, Is A Friend Indeed'
*
"Was that Tara?" Spike looked up from the laptop.
"Yes, it was Tara if you must know." Charlie put the phone back in its cradle. "We are going to grab a cup of coffee at the Espresso Pump later on." Charlie tried to sound as nonchalant as possible.
"Good, luv. I don't know ducks that well, but she seems to be a good girl."
"Don't even go there Spike. I know what you are thinking!" Charlie pointed an accusatory finger at Spike, who was doing his best to look innocent.
"What I *am* thinking is that you both have a lot in common. As in..." Charlie was getting that 'ready to rumble' expression on her face and Spike changed directions quickly. "... you're both good girls."
"As in we are both trying to deal with relationships that ended badly and not that long ago. It's just a cup of coffee." Charlie sighed. "Listen, I am not ready to start anything and neither is she... At least not yet. I'm pretty sure she is still in love with Red." Spike chuckled at how Charlie had picked up his nicknames for the Scoobies. "And *you* should be taking care of your own business. Aren't you supposed to pick Buffy up?" She looked at Spike with concern and asked, "Are you going to tell her tonight? I hope she is okay with it."
Spike knew Charlie was referring to the talk they had that morning. "Yeah. I am. I don't see why she would mind." Spike tried to sound more sure of himself than he actually did. "Anyway, we are going to the movies. Some bloody sappy story – it was her turn to pick." He shook his head in disbelief. "She has me doing all this 'normal' stuff and then we go on patrol and fight baddies. I wish she would put it in her thick head that there is no 'normal' for us."
"Stop complaining, okay? I have no idea how difficult it must be for this girl to live the life she leads. She's what, not even twenty-one? With all the bad hands she has been dealt… I don't know how she can keep going. I guess... I understand her better now, than I did before." Charlie shook her head to drive away the bad memories. "All I am saying is that she needs some semblance of normalcy in her life, hon. You wanted to be with her. She now wants to be with you." Charlie did a right on imitation of his accent, "An honest shot and all, remember?" She became very serious. "You should be happy that she finally wants that from you."
"Charlie! It's the first time I've heard you defending Buffy like that!"
"Yeah. She's not a bad person. So she has some issues... Who doesn't? She has yet to tell those friends of hers about you two. But, from what you tell me, she is trying to work it out." A mischievous glint lit up her eyes. "That does not mean however, that I will not write that anonymous threat letter, if she treats you badly."
Spike got up and gave Charlie a quick hug. "Okay then, I will keep your words in mind... Mom!" Spike barely managed to duck the cushion Charlie threw at him. "I will see you later, luv." Spike put his keys in his duster pocket and marveled at it. Those were *his* keys to the house. It was still a concept he had some trouble accepting as real.
Now all he had to do was tell Buffy.
*
Charlie had landed back on her feet. She had moments – when her eyes would get that far away look and he knew she was thinking about Frances. She always came back, though. His friend was definitely on the mend.
Spike had realized it was time to move out. Except... except that the tiny little house had become home. He knew where the coffee mugs were kept and the trick of how to get the closet door open. Living there for just some weeks and he had already gotten used to having somebody around. What a sentimental poof he was. Truth was, being there for Charlie had done something to him. She accepted him the way he was – he had no need to pose as anything other than himself. Charlie needed him, but he knew he needed her too.
Spike looked around… Yeah, he would miss it. But it was time to let Charlie have her space back. So that morning he had started to get ready to leave.
He threw another black T-shirt into his bag.
Charlie walked in to find Spike packing. She walked up to him and stood there with both hands on her hips as if expecting an explanation. When none was forthcoming she made him look at her and asked, "What in the frilly heck are you doing?"
"Getting my things together, luv. It's about time that I stopped taking up space." His attempt at lightness did nothing to change the girl's angry expression.
"Taking up space? I see..." Charlie poked the beat up duffel bag with her boot. "So you are leaving and going back to that comfy crypt of yours?"
"Yep."
"Because it is so much better than sharing the same 'space' with me?" Spike didn't answer. He didn't trust himself to talk when so much was going on inside. "We have to talk Mr. Spike." Charlie sat on the couch and patted the space next to her. When Spike sat down, she turned to face him. "Now, I am going to ask you something. If you don't want to, it's fine – all you have to do is say no and it will be okay. But if you say yes, it has to be because that's what you want. Not because you feel you have to, or anything else. Deal?"
"Deal." What was the girl up to now?
"I need to find a new roommate and I can't think of anybody I can get along with better than you." Spike's face was inscrutable. "What I am saying is – do you want to move here?"
When the only answer she got from Spike was a surprised look, she continued, "We can get the basement fixed up. I know you have been using the office, but it is so small! We can ask the whelp, I mean Harris, to make a nice apartment for you downstairs. Think of the advantages: invitation needed for the undead to come in, hot showers and a decent place to bring your girlfriend to…"
"You have given this a lot of thought, haven't you?" Spike managed to get his voice back. He really hadn't seen that one coming. A proper home… He hadn't have one for so long.
"Some." Charlie had in reality given it a lot of thought. She was not naïve and understood that asking Spike to move in came with serious consequences, but it also came with… well, Spike. Her best friend. "I know who you are and about the other, darker, side of Sunnydale. You know I am okay with it. What do you say?"
"I guess we can ask the whelp to do some work." Charlie's reaction upon hearing that had been to throw her arms around him in a tight hug.
*
"That movie was not bad, was it?" Buffy looked at Spike. He had been unusually quiet during the movie. "Hello, Earth to Spike?"
"Sorry, love." He sat down on a tombstone and instinctively went for his fags, only to stop midway. Buffy didn't like what she called the ashtray kiss. He sighed and put his hands into his pockets. Kissing her was more than worth doing without a smoke. "Buffy, what do you think about Charlie?"
"That came out of nowhere. Charlie?" Buffy sat next to him and looked down at her swinging feet. "She's okay."
"C'mon, pet, you can do better than that."
"Do better. Will try. Well, the first time I saw her was at the Bronze, nibbling your neck, I wanted to chop off her hair." Spike laughed.
"Amazon girl. But then I realized that she was just a friend." Buffy was not about to tell him about the night she had sneaked up to Charlie's kitchen window to spy on them. "Your friend." Buffy fell silent for a while and Spike gave her time to organize her thoughts.
"I guess that's what was weird for me. She is *your* friend. I was so used to you just hanging out by yourself. Or with my friends. Okay, there was Harmony, but we are so not going there. Suddenly you have your own friend, who is not only human, but really protective of you. She takes your side, when I was used to having everybody take mine. It was enlightening." Spike looked at Buffy with a questioning look. "I am not that clueless. I saw the way she always managed to leave when I went into bitch mode. It made me aware that I can be kind of hard with you. Something that wouldn't have happened otherwise."
"So you were jealous?" Somehow that was the part that had stood out for him.
Buffy rolled up her eyes. "Don't let it get to your head." Spike hugged her and placed a kiss on the tip of her nose. "I have seen how you care for her. Yeah. I was jealous. Jealous of the amount of time you spend with her. Jealous of the inside jokes I didn't get. Even Willow noticed."
Buffy got up and stood between his legs, looking him straight in his eyes. "I want you to understand that I do get it now, though. We all need friends. I know that better than most. I don't know where I would be without the gang. Charlie is your friend and I am glad you found someone who cares about you."
Spike loved this girl. "It's great that you understand, love. Buffy, what would you say if I decided to move out of the crypt?"
"And leave all this?" She gestured around her. "I would say that it was about time."
"What if I told you I was moving to Charlie's house?"
"Oh." Buffy bit her lower lip. "What can I say about you moving to the house of a tall, beautiful and intelligent woman who is not me? Gee!"
"Slayer, c'mon… You know there is no reason to be jealous. I love you. You know it. Charlie is like a sister. And believe me, I am not her type. Totally wrong equipment."
"I know that. It's just me, being all girlfriendly." Did she just say that? She glanced quickly at Spike. Boy, his head was going to explode after that one. She was kind of stunned when he let it slip. He just smiled.
Sometimes it was just better to enjoy things without words. He leaned and kissed his slayer on the lips.
Buffy felt her heart skip various beats and her legs begin to shake. The blond could kiss… A memory of the night they had spent together filled her mind and a soft moan escaped her lips. Regretfully she drew away from the kiss. Spike was looking at her with such intensity that she knew he too was thinking about the same thing.
"Buffy…" His voice sounded hoarse and full of longing. He lifted her head with his finger and kissed her again, this time even more deeply. "I love you Slayer. Nothing can change that. Nothing ever will."
She tried to speak, but he silenced her with another kiss.
When she thought she wouldn't be able to hold out any longer, Spike let her go and whispered, "You don't have to say anything. I feel it too… It's okay. I promised I would wait and I will. Not easy, you know?"
She nodded against his chest. No it was not easy at all.
They embraced and held each other close.
Finally Buffy looked up. "Does that mean that now you get a decent bathroom?"
Spike laughed and getting down from the tombstone, held out his hand, which she took. "Yeah love, guess it does. Why? You thinking of showering over at my place?"
Buffy smiled and whispered in his ear, "We'll see…"
The End
By: Chen
Rating: G as always
Spoilers: Kind of all the way to GONE
Disclaimer: ME owns all things Buffy. I do have a claim to Charlie though. Or better yet, the girl owns me.
A/N: Sequel to 'A Friend In Need, Is A Friend Indeed'
*
"Was that Tara?" Spike looked up from the laptop.
"Yes, it was Tara if you must know." Charlie put the phone back in its cradle. "We are going to grab a cup of coffee at the Espresso Pump later on." Charlie tried to sound as nonchalant as possible.
"Good, luv. I don't know ducks that well, but she seems to be a good girl."
"Don't even go there Spike. I know what you are thinking!" Charlie pointed an accusatory finger at Spike, who was doing his best to look innocent.
"What I *am* thinking is that you both have a lot in common. As in..." Charlie was getting that 'ready to rumble' expression on her face and Spike changed directions quickly. "... you're both good girls."
"As in we are both trying to deal with relationships that ended badly and not that long ago. It's just a cup of coffee." Charlie sighed. "Listen, I am not ready to start anything and neither is she... At least not yet. I'm pretty sure she is still in love with Red." Spike chuckled at how Charlie had picked up his nicknames for the Scoobies. "And *you* should be taking care of your own business. Aren't you supposed to pick Buffy up?" She looked at Spike with concern and asked, "Are you going to tell her tonight? I hope she is okay with it."
Spike knew Charlie was referring to the talk they had that morning. "Yeah. I am. I don't see why she would mind." Spike tried to sound more sure of himself than he actually did. "Anyway, we are going to the movies. Some bloody sappy story – it was her turn to pick." He shook his head in disbelief. "She has me doing all this 'normal' stuff and then we go on patrol and fight baddies. I wish she would put it in her thick head that there is no 'normal' for us."
"Stop complaining, okay? I have no idea how difficult it must be for this girl to live the life she leads. She's what, not even twenty-one? With all the bad hands she has been dealt… I don't know how she can keep going. I guess... I understand her better now, than I did before." Charlie shook her head to drive away the bad memories. "All I am saying is that she needs some semblance of normalcy in her life, hon. You wanted to be with her. She now wants to be with you." Charlie did a right on imitation of his accent, "An honest shot and all, remember?" She became very serious. "You should be happy that she finally wants that from you."
"Charlie! It's the first time I've heard you defending Buffy like that!"
"Yeah. She's not a bad person. So she has some issues... Who doesn't? She has yet to tell those friends of hers about you two. But, from what you tell me, she is trying to work it out." A mischievous glint lit up her eyes. "That does not mean however, that I will not write that anonymous threat letter, if she treats you badly."
Spike got up and gave Charlie a quick hug. "Okay then, I will keep your words in mind... Mom!" Spike barely managed to duck the cushion Charlie threw at him. "I will see you later, luv." Spike put his keys in his duster pocket and marveled at it. Those were *his* keys to the house. It was still a concept he had some trouble accepting as real.
Now all he had to do was tell Buffy.
*
Charlie had landed back on her feet. She had moments – when her eyes would get that far away look and he knew she was thinking about Frances. She always came back, though. His friend was definitely on the mend.
Spike had realized it was time to move out. Except... except that the tiny little house had become home. He knew where the coffee mugs were kept and the trick of how to get the closet door open. Living there for just some weeks and he had already gotten used to having somebody around. What a sentimental poof he was. Truth was, being there for Charlie had done something to him. She accepted him the way he was – he had no need to pose as anything other than himself. Charlie needed him, but he knew he needed her too.
Spike looked around… Yeah, he would miss it. But it was time to let Charlie have her space back. So that morning he had started to get ready to leave.
He threw another black T-shirt into his bag.
Charlie walked in to find Spike packing. She walked up to him and stood there with both hands on her hips as if expecting an explanation. When none was forthcoming she made him look at her and asked, "What in the frilly heck are you doing?"
"Getting my things together, luv. It's about time that I stopped taking up space." His attempt at lightness did nothing to change the girl's angry expression.
"Taking up space? I see..." Charlie poked the beat up duffel bag with her boot. "So you are leaving and going back to that comfy crypt of yours?"
"Yep."
"Because it is so much better than sharing the same 'space' with me?" Spike didn't answer. He didn't trust himself to talk when so much was going on inside. "We have to talk Mr. Spike." Charlie sat on the couch and patted the space next to her. When Spike sat down, she turned to face him. "Now, I am going to ask you something. If you don't want to, it's fine – all you have to do is say no and it will be okay. But if you say yes, it has to be because that's what you want. Not because you feel you have to, or anything else. Deal?"
"Deal." What was the girl up to now?
"I need to find a new roommate and I can't think of anybody I can get along with better than you." Spike's face was inscrutable. "What I am saying is – do you want to move here?"
When the only answer she got from Spike was a surprised look, she continued, "We can get the basement fixed up. I know you have been using the office, but it is so small! We can ask the whelp, I mean Harris, to make a nice apartment for you downstairs. Think of the advantages: invitation needed for the undead to come in, hot showers and a decent place to bring your girlfriend to…"
"You have given this a lot of thought, haven't you?" Spike managed to get his voice back. He really hadn't seen that one coming. A proper home… He hadn't have one for so long.
"Some." Charlie had in reality given it a lot of thought. She was not naïve and understood that asking Spike to move in came with serious consequences, but it also came with… well, Spike. Her best friend. "I know who you are and about the other, darker, side of Sunnydale. You know I am okay with it. What do you say?"
"I guess we can ask the whelp to do some work." Charlie's reaction upon hearing that had been to throw her arms around him in a tight hug.
*
"That movie was not bad, was it?" Buffy looked at Spike. He had been unusually quiet during the movie. "Hello, Earth to Spike?"
"Sorry, love." He sat down on a tombstone and instinctively went for his fags, only to stop midway. Buffy didn't like what she called the ashtray kiss. He sighed and put his hands into his pockets. Kissing her was more than worth doing without a smoke. "Buffy, what do you think about Charlie?"
"That came out of nowhere. Charlie?" Buffy sat next to him and looked down at her swinging feet. "She's okay."
"C'mon, pet, you can do better than that."
"Do better. Will try. Well, the first time I saw her was at the Bronze, nibbling your neck, I wanted to chop off her hair." Spike laughed.
"Amazon girl. But then I realized that she was just a friend." Buffy was not about to tell him about the night she had sneaked up to Charlie's kitchen window to spy on them. "Your friend." Buffy fell silent for a while and Spike gave her time to organize her thoughts.
"I guess that's what was weird for me. She is *your* friend. I was so used to you just hanging out by yourself. Or with my friends. Okay, there was Harmony, but we are so not going there. Suddenly you have your own friend, who is not only human, but really protective of you. She takes your side, when I was used to having everybody take mine. It was enlightening." Spike looked at Buffy with a questioning look. "I am not that clueless. I saw the way she always managed to leave when I went into bitch mode. It made me aware that I can be kind of hard with you. Something that wouldn't have happened otherwise."
"So you were jealous?" Somehow that was the part that had stood out for him.
Buffy rolled up her eyes. "Don't let it get to your head." Spike hugged her and placed a kiss on the tip of her nose. "I have seen how you care for her. Yeah. I was jealous. Jealous of the amount of time you spend with her. Jealous of the inside jokes I didn't get. Even Willow noticed."
Buffy got up and stood between his legs, looking him straight in his eyes. "I want you to understand that I do get it now, though. We all need friends. I know that better than most. I don't know where I would be without the gang. Charlie is your friend and I am glad you found someone who cares about you."
Spike loved this girl. "It's great that you understand, love. Buffy, what would you say if I decided to move out of the crypt?"
"And leave all this?" She gestured around her. "I would say that it was about time."
"What if I told you I was moving to Charlie's house?"
"Oh." Buffy bit her lower lip. "What can I say about you moving to the house of a tall, beautiful and intelligent woman who is not me? Gee!"
"Slayer, c'mon… You know there is no reason to be jealous. I love you. You know it. Charlie is like a sister. And believe me, I am not her type. Totally wrong equipment."
"I know that. It's just me, being all girlfriendly." Did she just say that? She glanced quickly at Spike. Boy, his head was going to explode after that one. She was kind of stunned when he let it slip. He just smiled.
Sometimes it was just better to enjoy things without words. He leaned and kissed his slayer on the lips.
Buffy felt her heart skip various beats and her legs begin to shake. The blond could kiss… A memory of the night they had spent together filled her mind and a soft moan escaped her lips. Regretfully she drew away from the kiss. Spike was looking at her with such intensity that she knew he too was thinking about the same thing.
"Buffy…" His voice sounded hoarse and full of longing. He lifted her head with his finger and kissed her again, this time even more deeply. "I love you Slayer. Nothing can change that. Nothing ever will."
She tried to speak, but he silenced her with another kiss.
When she thought she wouldn't be able to hold out any longer, Spike let her go and whispered, "You don't have to say anything. I feel it too… It's okay. I promised I would wait and I will. Not easy, you know?"
She nodded against his chest. No it was not easy at all.
They embraced and held each other close.
Finally Buffy looked up. "Does that mean that now you get a decent bathroom?"
Spike laughed and getting down from the tombstone, held out his hand, which she took. "Yeah love, guess it does. Why? You thinking of showering over at my place?"
Buffy smiled and whispered in his ear, "We'll see…"
The End