Disclaimer on previous parts.
~ Part 16~
It was true that he was a creature of darkness, that he really didn't usually have a desire to climb into bed when the sun set, or really have a need to, but tonight he just wanted to sleep. And for some reason the light in the hallway had been on for a really long time.
He rolled over, facing away from the window, and noticed that the rumpled bed next to him was empty, the sheets cold. So it was Buffy then.
Leaving his cot, happy that his body didn't recognize changes in temperature, he moved into the corridor. The bathroom door was closed, a little sliver of light slipping between the crack at the floor. "Pet, you alright?" He whispered, lightly rapping on the door.
"Please Spike, just go away." Her voice had a moaning quality to it, so he knocked again.
"What's wrong, Buffy?"
"Nothing. Leave me alone. Please."
"I'm coming in." He turned the knob and saw her curled up on the floor. Definite fetal position. "Doesn't much look like nothing."
"I'll be ok. I just kind of want to lay here. Forever."
"Tell me what it is. I'll try to make it better."
"I think I'm going to be sick again." And she was right, as she dragged herself over to the porcelain bowl. He pulled her hair back out of her face and knelt down besides her, stroking her back. It didn't last long, but she hovered over the water, beginning to cry. "I told you not to come in. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"What are you apologizing for?"
"You didn't need to see this."
"Trust me luv, I've seen a lot worse in my day."
"You can go back to sleep, if you want. I'll try to be quiet."
"Come here pet." He gently placed her into his lap, cradling her, and kissed the top of her head. "I think you still have that fever." She shivered a little in response, her teeth meeting as she sucked in a breath.
"My dad used to do this for me. Stay up with me when I was sick. Mom could never quite deal so well with it, so he would. But right after he left, I had food poisoning from some bad sushi, she stayed with me, all night. She'd never done that before and I kept telling her to go away that I was a big girl and that she didn't have to do this, but she stayed. I think she knew I didn't want her to." She was really crying now, and he wiped at her face. "Thank you for not leaving me."
"Shhhh. I'm not going anywhere alright. I'll stay as long as you need me. Probably longer than you do."
"You'll hold me? You promise."
"I promise."
"Why are you so nice to me when all I do is treat you like crap?"
"Well, that would have been a very good question a few days ago, but you haven't recently. We've been getting along. We're trying."
"I guess that you love me doesn't hurt." He didn't answer her, just held her a little tighter and wrapped a bath towel around her bare legs.
They sat there, and he put a washcloth over her forehead, carrying her to bed when she finally fell asleep. He climbed in besides her, pushing the cot aside with his feet. "No, I guess it doesn't hurt at all."
~ Part 16~
It was true that he was a creature of darkness, that he really didn't usually have a desire to climb into bed when the sun set, or really have a need to, but tonight he just wanted to sleep. And for some reason the light in the hallway had been on for a really long time.
He rolled over, facing away from the window, and noticed that the rumpled bed next to him was empty, the sheets cold. So it was Buffy then.
Leaving his cot, happy that his body didn't recognize changes in temperature, he moved into the corridor. The bathroom door was closed, a little sliver of light slipping between the crack at the floor. "Pet, you alright?" He whispered, lightly rapping on the door.
"Please Spike, just go away." Her voice had a moaning quality to it, so he knocked again.
"What's wrong, Buffy?"
"Nothing. Leave me alone. Please."
"I'm coming in." He turned the knob and saw her curled up on the floor. Definite fetal position. "Doesn't much look like nothing."
"I'll be ok. I just kind of want to lay here. Forever."
"Tell me what it is. I'll try to make it better."
"I think I'm going to be sick again." And she was right, as she dragged herself over to the porcelain bowl. He pulled her hair back out of her face and knelt down besides her, stroking her back. It didn't last long, but she hovered over the water, beginning to cry. "I told you not to come in. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"What are you apologizing for?"
"You didn't need to see this."
"Trust me luv, I've seen a lot worse in my day."
"You can go back to sleep, if you want. I'll try to be quiet."
"Come here pet." He gently placed her into his lap, cradling her, and kissed the top of her head. "I think you still have that fever." She shivered a little in response, her teeth meeting as she sucked in a breath.
"My dad used to do this for me. Stay up with me when I was sick. Mom could never quite deal so well with it, so he would. But right after he left, I had food poisoning from some bad sushi, she stayed with me, all night. She'd never done that before and I kept telling her to go away that I was a big girl and that she didn't have to do this, but she stayed. I think she knew I didn't want her to." She was really crying now, and he wiped at her face. "Thank you for not leaving me."
"Shhhh. I'm not going anywhere alright. I'll stay as long as you need me. Probably longer than you do."
"You'll hold me? You promise."
"I promise."
"Why are you so nice to me when all I do is treat you like crap?"
"Well, that would have been a very good question a few days ago, but you haven't recently. We've been getting along. We're trying."
"I guess that you love me doesn't hurt." He didn't answer her, just held her a little tighter and wrapped a bath towel around her bare legs.
They sat there, and he put a washcloth over her forehead, carrying her to bed when she finally fell asleep. He climbed in besides her, pushing the cot aside with his feet. "No, I guess it doesn't hurt at all."