"You're crazy!" she said turning away from him with a smile.
"I get that all the time, but really, it will make you feel so much better," he reached out and pulled her towards him. She rolled her eyes.
"That is not the way women like to cheer up!" She threw her hands up in the air.
"Julia," he said seriously, looking down at her and holding one of her hands. "Just hit me."
She laughed and turned back towards him.
"What are you so afraid of? You said so yourself that you couldn't hurt me," he let go of her hand and stood ready.
"Fine," she said leaning her head to one side letting her hair fall into her eyes. "But then will you leave me alone?"
Before he could reply she threw a punch and it came crashing against his stomach.
"Come on Spiegel, you weren't paying any attention," she threw another punch and he sprinted in the opposite direction. She went for the face but he caught her punch before it landed on him, he held her fist in his hands and smirked, her blue eyes filled with laughter. She used her other hand to push him away, and he teetered for a moment trying to keep his balance, still holding on to her fist.
"I love a girl who can kick my ass," he looked at her.
She moved away from him, letting her fist fall from his grasp and sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Then I guess you don't love me, because that's the last of my talents," she took her black jacket off and quickly placed her hair in a bun.
"You could kick my ass..." he said skeptically.
"Yeah, if you let me do it," she stood up looking at the door. "Where is our food?"
"I don't know," he shrugged. "What did you order me anyway?"
She walked off to the bathroom and he heard her answer before the water started running.
"Bell peppers and beef!"
He sat on the edge of the bed where she had just been, her jacket threatening to fall over onto the floor. He picked it up and folded it neatly, looking around the room. She had only been there a few hours and already everything smelt like her. It was the aroma that made him leave the world he was once living in and see things in a new light, with a little bit of joy and a happiness he had never experience. He heard the creak of the door and looked up to see her standing there staring at her.
"Worn out?" she asked him with a grin. "I know I beat you pretty hard."
"Keep dreaming." He shook his crazy hair out of his face. There was a knock at the door and she went to get it, the smell of the food scrambling through as the man brought it in. She tipped him and sat down next to Spike. Both of them ate in silence for a while before Julia turned to look at him.
"How long have you know Vicious?" She asked calmly.
"Since I was twenty, when I first started with the Syndicate," he took another bite. "So about four years."
"Has he always been this way?"
"What? Scary? Yes he has."
"Are you scared of him?" she looked at him.
"No." He said quickly. "I know him too well, I know every move he makes when he fights, the way his mind works. If I had to out smart him I could.-"
"And you have a better relationship with the higher powers of the Red Dragons," she looked down to her food.
"Well I do, but that's not something I really consider -"
"Vicious does, he talks about it all the time," she stirred her chopsticks inside the cup. Spiked nodded.
"He's my best friend."
"Do you trust him?" Spiked looked up at her when she asked this question, searching himself for an answer.
"As much as I know how to trust a person."
"You're nothing alike..."
"We are the same person."
"No," she shook her head. "I can see in your eyes the will to really live, his are empty and hopeless. You are so very different."
"Is that good?"
"Yes. Don't you think it is? To be capable of so much more than he is."
"I don't think I was ever capable before..." He looked up to the ceiling.
"Before what?"
"Nothing," he shook his head. She put her head on his shoulder, only this time he remained still, perfectly comfortable. His fingers dared to run themselves through her hair, wanting to feel the silk against his skin. Her smell drifted through his mind and he tried so hard to resist the urge to put his arms around her, take her body and protect it against the evils he had known.
"Why didn't I know you first?" she asked to no one in particular.
"What does it matter who you knew first?"
"It will matter in the future, I can feel it," she looked up at him, her eyes clear and pure. He felt his fingers run through her hair, while placing her head back against his shoulder. She fell calmly against him and closed her eyes, letting him comfort her with his touch. He leaned back, letting her head fall gently against his chest. He ran his finger through her hair until he blacked out and fell asleep. It wasn't until hours later that he woke up to find her lying on his chest still. Her hand placed on his arm, the softness of her touch caused him to sigh. He sat there thinking for a moment, why does this feel so wrong? Why do I want her so much? He was angry with himself for feeling so much for someone so wrong. For feeling anything at all. He subconsciously started running his hands through her hair again. He felt her move, her head tilted to look him in the eyes. Sleep still lingered in the lightness of them, she didn't smile but just looked, captivated by the way she felt inside his eyes. The way he saw her when he stared back at her.
"We fell asleep." She laughed.
"Yeah, I don't know how that happened. I didn't even finishing eating," he lifted his head up a little to look at the table still sitting by their feet. "Do you always laugh this much?"
"No." She shook her head. "Its just you."
"Good to know I'm your source for amusement," he patted her on the head.
"Well, at least I'm not too cool to laugh," she rolled her eyes.
"I'm not." He looked away from her.
"Whatever you say," she patted him on the head. He took her hand and looked down at her with a smirk on his face.
"You mess with the hair and you're in big trouble," he placed her hand on his chest and she ran her fingers gently over his arm, he felt tired and entranced all at the same time as she moved her fingers up and down his skin. He closed his eyes and instantly his mind filled with a thousand thoughts. He jumped up, startling her and paced around the room.
"I have to do something..." he looked around, still trying to think of his excuse to leave. He threw his jacked over his shoulder and opened the door.
"What?" she looked up at him questioningly.
"Um..."
"Do I make you nervous?"
He looked at her for a moment.
"No, it's just that I -"
"You make me nervous." He turned back towards her and looked down at the ground while she spoke. "I don't know how to act with you, before I didn't even want to be alone with you and now I wonder if maybe I should have stayed away."
He kneeled down next to her, taking her hand and rubbing the back of it with his thumb.
"I have no idea what I'm doing, and you shouldn't... we shouldn't. Its just attraction. You're worth more than that."
She nodded her head, the light in her eyes was slipping away slowly. He stood up.
"We need to get some sleep anyway," she said walking him to the door. She opened it and stood there as he walked out.
"Goodnight," he said.
"Night," she smiled, closing the door as he walked away. She stood with her back against the wood, running her fingers against the rough surface and thinking about the perfect moments she had been sleeping. Suddenly there was a knock at the door, she turned quickly and opened it.
"It's something about the way that you looked at me..." he said reaching his hand out for her face and looking into her eyes. "You frustrate me. Everything is going wrong inside my mind. This is all wrong."
He said the words with stern passion, as though he meant everything, like he was reprimanding her for unintentionally crawling beneath his skin. Then, before she had a chance to reply or think about what he was saying, she felt his lips press gently against hers, his fingers run softly through her hair, and his hand place itself gently on her upper arm. Everything happened so fast that she didn't have time to think, she didn't have time to open her eyes and see him close the door. She was captured in his taste, in the way that he touched her, and when she opened her eyes to look up at his face, she was lost deep inside his eyes. He looked at her face, studying it.
"Spike," she said softly. "You have to go."
He knew she was right, he knew if he stayed with her he wouldn't to sleep, he wouldn't think of anything but her. But if he didn't stay with her, he would think about her anyway.
"I know," he said taking her in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let her head rest gently against his chest. He kissed her forehead and walked out of the room, throwing his coat over his shoulder and gently shuffling his feet down the walkway.