Spike paced at the bottom of the stairs with an annoyed air. "Buffy! We're
going to be late!" he yelled up the steps for the third time.
"I'm almost ready!" Buffy's voice came to him.
Spike sighed.
The night before they had went back downtown to the department store where Spike had grudgingly picked out some clothes. At first he was fine with just black tee-shirts and black jeans, his usual attire, but Buffy would have none if it.
"Spike! You can't go around wearing your usual 'I'm a big mean vampire grrr' clothes!" She whined. "You're supposed to be a human man, married to me!" She pointed out. "That means you need regular clothing a woman's husband is supposed to wear!"
Spike complained about not wanting to look like a "nancy boy" and so Buffy let him pick out his own clothes, checking over everything to make sure it wasn't that dark and "evil". His shopping was done in a half hour.
They had headed to a nearby boutique with the remaining 250 dollars to buy their formal wear. Spike had ended up renting a nice suit, which was 100 dollars. Buffy made him go wait outside while she picked her dress.
Spike never saw it.
He was about to yell up the stairs again when she said she was ready. Spike thanked his lucky stars and stood at the bottom of the stairs to wait for her. He looked up as she started down and had to take in a breath.
The dress was black, a simple enough color, but the rest was just beautiful. The chiffon dress came to a high empire waist, the straps fell to her upper arm leaving her shoulders and neck bare. Tiny sparkles were sewn into the material so that when she moved they shimmered in the light. She had her hair piled on top of her head, curled tendrils falling gracefully to frame her face.
She seemed to glow. Spike stepped forward to take her arm as she came to the last stair. "You look beautiful," he said softly as he looked at her.
Buffy blushed. The way he said it was different from anyone else. "Thank you," she replied as they started for the door. "You look very handsome too." And he did. All done up and gentleman looking.
Buffy opened the door and started out but Spike stopped her. "There's one more thing I forgot love," Spike said.
She looked at him as he pulled something out of his pocket. It was a jewelry box. "Will..." She said, finally getting used to the name. He shushed her as he opened the box. It was a thin gold chain with a dark blue, almost black, sapphire about the size of a pinky nail on it. He moved to clasp it around her neck.
"Spike what's this?" She asked, stopping him.
"I was gonna give it to you the night you left, had it in my pocket all along. Almost forgot about it," he said shyly.
She smiled. "It's beautiful Spike..." She said as he finished putting it on. It hung right above her exposed bosom.
"Was my mum's," Spike explained as he turned away as if it was nothing.
She reached over and turned him around by the shoulder. "It means a lot William," she said.
He had gotten used to hearing his mortal name from her. He kind of liked being called William again. It made him feel civil. In fact he didn't even think of his former days as a nancy boy coward when he held that name. She made it sound different than that.
"One more thing," Spike said as an afterthought.
Buffy looked at him.
"It's about everyone thinking we're married. They're going to think we hate each other or don't want to be married, the way we're acting."
"What do you mean?" Buffy asked.
"I mean the fact me and you never come closer than one foot to each other."
Buffy opened her mouth in a small oh.
"So there's an agreement then? I won't try anything ungentlemanly, and we'll maybe link arms or something?"
Buffy smiled. "Of course." She held out her arm.
Spike took it and they started to Katherine and Tom Lewis's house.
"I'm almost ready!" Buffy's voice came to him.
Spike sighed.
The night before they had went back downtown to the department store where Spike had grudgingly picked out some clothes. At first he was fine with just black tee-shirts and black jeans, his usual attire, but Buffy would have none if it.
"Spike! You can't go around wearing your usual 'I'm a big mean vampire grrr' clothes!" She whined. "You're supposed to be a human man, married to me!" She pointed out. "That means you need regular clothing a woman's husband is supposed to wear!"
Spike complained about not wanting to look like a "nancy boy" and so Buffy let him pick out his own clothes, checking over everything to make sure it wasn't that dark and "evil". His shopping was done in a half hour.
They had headed to a nearby boutique with the remaining 250 dollars to buy their formal wear. Spike had ended up renting a nice suit, which was 100 dollars. Buffy made him go wait outside while she picked her dress.
Spike never saw it.
He was about to yell up the stairs again when she said she was ready. Spike thanked his lucky stars and stood at the bottom of the stairs to wait for her. He looked up as she started down and had to take in a breath.
The dress was black, a simple enough color, but the rest was just beautiful. The chiffon dress came to a high empire waist, the straps fell to her upper arm leaving her shoulders and neck bare. Tiny sparkles were sewn into the material so that when she moved they shimmered in the light. She had her hair piled on top of her head, curled tendrils falling gracefully to frame her face.
She seemed to glow. Spike stepped forward to take her arm as she came to the last stair. "You look beautiful," he said softly as he looked at her.
Buffy blushed. The way he said it was different from anyone else. "Thank you," she replied as they started for the door. "You look very handsome too." And he did. All done up and gentleman looking.
Buffy opened the door and started out but Spike stopped her. "There's one more thing I forgot love," Spike said.
She looked at him as he pulled something out of his pocket. It was a jewelry box. "Will..." She said, finally getting used to the name. He shushed her as he opened the box. It was a thin gold chain with a dark blue, almost black, sapphire about the size of a pinky nail on it. He moved to clasp it around her neck.
"Spike what's this?" She asked, stopping him.
"I was gonna give it to you the night you left, had it in my pocket all along. Almost forgot about it," he said shyly.
She smiled. "It's beautiful Spike..." She said as he finished putting it on. It hung right above her exposed bosom.
"Was my mum's," Spike explained as he turned away as if it was nothing.
She reached over and turned him around by the shoulder. "It means a lot William," she said.
He had gotten used to hearing his mortal name from her. He kind of liked being called William again. It made him feel civil. In fact he didn't even think of his former days as a nancy boy coward when he held that name. She made it sound different than that.
"One more thing," Spike said as an afterthought.
Buffy looked at him.
"It's about everyone thinking we're married. They're going to think we hate each other or don't want to be married, the way we're acting."
"What do you mean?" Buffy asked.
"I mean the fact me and you never come closer than one foot to each other."
Buffy opened her mouth in a small oh.
"So there's an agreement then? I won't try anything ungentlemanly, and we'll maybe link arms or something?"
Buffy smiled. "Of course." She held out her arm.
Spike took it and they started to Katherine and Tom Lewis's house.
