CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Buffy walked from the kitchen back into the lounge, she was tired but she was trying to make amends with Spike, but she sure as hell wasn't going to invite him up to her room to sit with her.
"There you go, complete with those tiny little marshmallows." Buffy said handing him a mug of coco.
"Oh Slayer you bought some for me." Spike said with mock shock.
Buffy rolled her eyes at him, "No I bought them for Joy."
Spike gave her hurt look before starting to laugh. This was comfortable, just like it had been when Buffy first came back from heaven. They'd been good together then, going out and having fun together.
Buffy looked at him and saw in an instant how happy he was to be there and for his daughter to be expecting her first child.
"I'm glad that we can do this whole mature adult thing, for the sake of the kids." Buffy said not quite looking at him.
"We've been here alone for over an hour now and you haven't punched me so I'd say we're getting there."
Buffy stared at him, it wasn't always her that punched him and it's not like he didn't deserve it most of the time. She felt punching him know for even implying that, but no she had to keep her cool.
Spike could sense that he hadn't said the right thing but he also knew that Buffy was trying to keep herself from starting an argument. Maybe it would be best if they finished their drinks and went to bed, before the Spike charm got really annoying.
Buffy needed out of this situation and fast, with all this talking they were bound to run into a fight any time soon. The TV that would do, she could put a film on and they wouldn't have to talk to each other much.
"You wanna watch a movie?" Buffy asked.
Spike looked down at her, still after all this time he couldn't work her out. On minutes she's a bitch and the next she wants to watch a movie.
"Sure, just stick anything on I'm too tried to defend my right to like My Fair Lady." He told her.
Spike watched as she started to laugh, memories of countless arguments about how gay he was for liking My Fair Lady flooded her mind. They'd had some good times together, hopefully they could recapture that.
Buffy got on to all fours from her position on the floor and flicked the button on the TV and slid a tape into the VCR. Spike watched as her body prowled the floor like a panther, his eyes reminding firmly fixed on her arse. She could feel his eyes burning into her flesh but she let it go.
~*~
Half an hour into the movie Spike was lying spread out on the sofa and Buffy was cuddled up into a ball on the floor with her head resting on the edge of the sofa. Spike watched as Buffy's eyes fluttered to a close.
Watching her now as a woman and a mother not as a Slayer he felt the need to gather her up into her arms and keep her safe there. All those years later his love hadn't faded at all in fact if anything it had only gotten stronger.
He slowly put his hand on her head and stroked her hair. It was a risky move and he knew it, he'd done it in the past after their all night session when she would fall asleep and she had woken up and beat the crap out of him. But he didn't care.
Buffy felt a hand on her head, and she wriggled into the movement. Then as her sense started to awake she realized it was Spike.
"You haven't changed a bit William." She said in a small sleepy voice.
Spike's first thought was to pull his hand away but then he decided that until she asked him to he'd leave it as it was.
"No not a bit pet." He told her.
Buffy drifted back off to sleep as Spike stroked her hair it felt good. All the same though he'd have to leave in the morning.
~*~
THREE MONTHS LATER
Buffy was sat with her knees pulled up close to her chest as she perched on top of a ladder in the room that was to be the new baby's nursery.
Spike was stood on the ground painting the wall in a lemon colour, wearing nothing but a pair on black denim jeans. Buffy eyed his body from her place on the ladder, it was still slim and well toned only now it had been approved with a tan.
"Are you actually goin' to do anything today Slayer?" Spike growled as he turned to look at her.
"I'm just taking a break!" Buffy said in her defence.
Spiked sighed deeply and loudly to let her know that he wasn't impressed, she just laughed at him.
"God Spike we've got another three months yet we're not in any rush." She shouted but in a playful manner.
"You're just lazy." Spike muttered under him breath as he turned back towards the wall to continue with his task.
Buffy heard him.
"Well sorry but I'm not the one who has been staying your house for the past three months. Rent free." Buffy pulled out her trump card.
Spike went to throw back so cocky retort but he stopped himself, it was true. When he'd raced down to Sunnydale and decided to stay he had planned on selling his house and getting a place of his own. That was still the plan but the sale of his house in Barnsfield was taking a little longer than planed.
So he'd stayed with Buffy because the apartment that Will and Joy had rented wasn't big enough for him as well. The consequence being that he'd taken over the spare room in the Summer's house.
"Yeah well at least I haven't got fat!" Spike shouted knowing that it would really piss her off.
Within seconds Buffy had jumped down off the ladder and was stood in front of Spike hands on hips.
"No I have not." She said her lips starting to pout and the puppy dog eyes taking on full form.
"No you haven't but it annoyed you." Spike laughed at her again turning away from her to face the wall.
Buffy grabbed his arms and spun him round so that he was facing her again. Their faces were only inches apart, and their eyes flashed with passion and lust. Buffy took a step back, she couldn't get into this not now and not with Spike.
It was all in the past and that's where it was best left. The last time they'd fallen into bed together it had ended so badly and ruined the friendship they had built, she couldn't let that happen again.
"Well who's the one that can beat the other one up here?" Buffy said sticking her tongue out at him.
Spike started to stir in his pants, 'I wish she wouldn't do that.' He thought to himself seeing her pink little tongue.
Buffy noticed his uncomfortable movement and then looked at his groin and understood why. This had to stop all the little bits of flirting they managed to fit into every conversation, she made her way back up the ladder. If anything they couldn't do it because of the kids, what would they think?
Joy watched her dad and Buffy from the doorway, she smiled to herself and turned to Will who was stood behind her, "Won't be long now."
TBC.
Buffy walked from the kitchen back into the lounge, she was tired but she was trying to make amends with Spike, but she sure as hell wasn't going to invite him up to her room to sit with her.
"There you go, complete with those tiny little marshmallows." Buffy said handing him a mug of coco.
"Oh Slayer you bought some for me." Spike said with mock shock.
Buffy rolled her eyes at him, "No I bought them for Joy."
Spike gave her hurt look before starting to laugh. This was comfortable, just like it had been when Buffy first came back from heaven. They'd been good together then, going out and having fun together.
Buffy looked at him and saw in an instant how happy he was to be there and for his daughter to be expecting her first child.
"I'm glad that we can do this whole mature adult thing, for the sake of the kids." Buffy said not quite looking at him.
"We've been here alone for over an hour now and you haven't punched me so I'd say we're getting there."
Buffy stared at him, it wasn't always her that punched him and it's not like he didn't deserve it most of the time. She felt punching him know for even implying that, but no she had to keep her cool.
Spike could sense that he hadn't said the right thing but he also knew that Buffy was trying to keep herself from starting an argument. Maybe it would be best if they finished their drinks and went to bed, before the Spike charm got really annoying.
Buffy needed out of this situation and fast, with all this talking they were bound to run into a fight any time soon. The TV that would do, she could put a film on and they wouldn't have to talk to each other much.
"You wanna watch a movie?" Buffy asked.
Spike looked down at her, still after all this time he couldn't work her out. On minutes she's a bitch and the next she wants to watch a movie.
"Sure, just stick anything on I'm too tried to defend my right to like My Fair Lady." He told her.
Spike watched as she started to laugh, memories of countless arguments about how gay he was for liking My Fair Lady flooded her mind. They'd had some good times together, hopefully they could recapture that.
Buffy got on to all fours from her position on the floor and flicked the button on the TV and slid a tape into the VCR. Spike watched as her body prowled the floor like a panther, his eyes reminding firmly fixed on her arse. She could feel his eyes burning into her flesh but she let it go.
~*~
Half an hour into the movie Spike was lying spread out on the sofa and Buffy was cuddled up into a ball on the floor with her head resting on the edge of the sofa. Spike watched as Buffy's eyes fluttered to a close.
Watching her now as a woman and a mother not as a Slayer he felt the need to gather her up into her arms and keep her safe there. All those years later his love hadn't faded at all in fact if anything it had only gotten stronger.
He slowly put his hand on her head and stroked her hair. It was a risky move and he knew it, he'd done it in the past after their all night session when she would fall asleep and she had woken up and beat the crap out of him. But he didn't care.
Buffy felt a hand on her head, and she wriggled into the movement. Then as her sense started to awake she realized it was Spike.
"You haven't changed a bit William." She said in a small sleepy voice.
Spike's first thought was to pull his hand away but then he decided that until she asked him to he'd leave it as it was.
"No not a bit pet." He told her.
Buffy drifted back off to sleep as Spike stroked her hair it felt good. All the same though he'd have to leave in the morning.
~*~
THREE MONTHS LATER
Buffy was sat with her knees pulled up close to her chest as she perched on top of a ladder in the room that was to be the new baby's nursery.
Spike was stood on the ground painting the wall in a lemon colour, wearing nothing but a pair on black denim jeans. Buffy eyed his body from her place on the ladder, it was still slim and well toned only now it had been approved with a tan.
"Are you actually goin' to do anything today Slayer?" Spike growled as he turned to look at her.
"I'm just taking a break!" Buffy said in her defence.
Spiked sighed deeply and loudly to let her know that he wasn't impressed, she just laughed at him.
"God Spike we've got another three months yet we're not in any rush." She shouted but in a playful manner.
"You're just lazy." Spike muttered under him breath as he turned back towards the wall to continue with his task.
Buffy heard him.
"Well sorry but I'm not the one who has been staying your house for the past three months. Rent free." Buffy pulled out her trump card.
Spike went to throw back so cocky retort but he stopped himself, it was true. When he'd raced down to Sunnydale and decided to stay he had planned on selling his house and getting a place of his own. That was still the plan but the sale of his house in Barnsfield was taking a little longer than planed.
So he'd stayed with Buffy because the apartment that Will and Joy had rented wasn't big enough for him as well. The consequence being that he'd taken over the spare room in the Summer's house.
"Yeah well at least I haven't got fat!" Spike shouted knowing that it would really piss her off.
Within seconds Buffy had jumped down off the ladder and was stood in front of Spike hands on hips.
"No I have not." She said her lips starting to pout and the puppy dog eyes taking on full form.
"No you haven't but it annoyed you." Spike laughed at her again turning away from her to face the wall.
Buffy grabbed his arms and spun him round so that he was facing her again. Their faces were only inches apart, and their eyes flashed with passion and lust. Buffy took a step back, she couldn't get into this not now and not with Spike.
It was all in the past and that's where it was best left. The last time they'd fallen into bed together it had ended so badly and ruined the friendship they had built, she couldn't let that happen again.
"Well who's the one that can beat the other one up here?" Buffy said sticking her tongue out at him.
Spike started to stir in his pants, 'I wish she wouldn't do that.' He thought to himself seeing her pink little tongue.
Buffy noticed his uncomfortable movement and then looked at his groin and understood why. This had to stop all the little bits of flirting they managed to fit into every conversation, she made her way back up the ladder. If anything they couldn't do it because of the kids, what would they think?
Joy watched her dad and Buffy from the doorway, she smiled to herself and turned to Will who was stood behind her, "Won't be long now."
TBC.