As they stepped through the door they were pleasantly surprised by the
crowd. They saw Madison and Jeremy and Buffy noticed Katherine and who she
guessed was Tom, the pudgy man next to her with his arm around her waist.
Katherine saw her and smiled widely, excusing herself from the group she was with. She and Tom made their way over. "Buffy! I'm so glad you made it! This must be William!" Katherine gushed.
Spike did his best to smile and ignore the annoyance the suit was presenting. She reached out to shake his hand and he instinctively took it.
"My! It must be cold outside!" She commented as Spike pulled back his hands.
He felt like slapping himself. Of course, vampire, cold, dead! He managed a chuckle.
"Oh Will is always freezing! I swear it's a disease!" Buffy quickly covered for her escort.
They all laughed. "This is Tom, and I'm Katherine, William, in case you didn't catch on."
Spike smiled. It was a fake smile. He hated this, hated this, hated this... But Buffy loved it, and he loved her, so he was going to get through this.
They made their way further into the house. "You look absolutely gorgeous Buffy!" Katherine said. "That dress is to die for!"
Spike did agree with that.
"Well, I wasn't sure about the color, I didn't know if I should choose something brighter," Buffy said modestly.
"Oh no! It's beautiful, really," Katherine assured her.
Katherine began introducing Buffy and Spike to the 20 or so guests at the party. Names flew by Buffy and Spike as they said hello and exchanged greetings.
The man in the blue was Harry? Or was he Jake? And that woman in the green was Daisy right? Or maybe... It was so much to handle but Buffy managed.
Spike didn't even attempt to try and remember all the names. He was so confused it was like a whirlwind of happy, married, successful people. He felt so out of place. Who was he compared to these people? He was a vampire, the living dead, he had nothing. Well unless you counted a bloody crypt. He couldn't even afford to whisk Buffy away.
No, instead he was living, for lack of a better word, off of his vampire grand-dad's money. He was a mooch, a loser, a freak. What was he doing here?
Buffy, beautiful Buffy, was standing next to him, allowing his arm to wrap around her waist. Smiling and laughing with these people. God she was made for this life. She was so happy. And he was going to ruin it for her. He was going to screw it up and she was going to be sad.
'Tough it up ol' boy,' Spike told himself. 'For Buffy. For Buffy,' he chanted.
Dinner was wonderful. Buffy loved the fish and the special rice blend. Spike moved food around on his plate and pretended to be full from eating earlier. Buffy was engaged in conversation the whole time. Spike sat quietly listening and keeping a faint smile on his face. 'For Buffy.'
After dinner everyone sat in the parlor drinking after-dinner wine and chatting as the evening wore down. Jazz played in the background. People floated out slowly.
Buffy and Spike were one of the last couples to leave. Buffy thanked Katherine profusely, insisting it had been wonderful and yes, she would come again soon to visit Katherine, now familiarly called Kathy.
Buffy and Spike started towards the door slowly, Buffy was almost dreaming as she floated along happily, holding Spike's hand.
"Have fun love?" Spike asked as they walked back to their house.
"More than I want to believe," Buffy said as they walked up the pathway to the door.
"I'm glad," Spike said with all his heart.
"You didn't, did you?" Buffy asked, standing next to the door.
Spike was surprised. "I had...fun," he lied.
Buffy chuckled. "It's ok Will, I know you and I know that it wasn't a barrel of laughs for you. It's not your thing." She shrugged and opened the door.
"I can make it my thing," Spike said as he followed her in and closed the door.
Buffy took off the heels she was wearing, exposing slender yet strong calves as he dress moved up her legs. "I don't want you to change who you are for me Spike."
"I want to, Buffy, I want to!" Spike said vehemently.
Buffy looked at him in the dark, none of the lights were on and the only illumination came from the moon filtering through the windows. "You would go through that every day for me?" She asked cautiously.
"Yes, every hour!" Spike said passionately.
Buffy was amazed. "But... you hated it... you were miserable."
Spike waved a hand in the air to brush it off. "So what? I was with you, I had you on my arm, every man there was jealous of me. I'd do that dinner party over and over if it meant that I could have a claim on you, even a pretend one."
Buffy was dazed. That Spike was willing to give up his identity, that tough, bad-ass vampire she had grown to know, was bewildering. How could he give up so much... for her?
She looked up into his eyes. He stood there with his hands in the suit pocket, looking embarrassed. She slowly reached out and laid her hand on his cheek softly. She guided his face down to hers and kissed him.
It was a short kiss, a simple kiss. But it was a kiss. A kiss you don't give your friend. It was all Spike had ever wanted. For Buffy to kiss him willingly, lovingly almost. Whoa there Spike, don't get too far. Love was probably the furthest thing from Buffy's mind.
"Thank you Spike," she whispered quietly into his ear, and started up the stairs to her room.
Katherine saw her and smiled widely, excusing herself from the group she was with. She and Tom made their way over. "Buffy! I'm so glad you made it! This must be William!" Katherine gushed.
Spike did his best to smile and ignore the annoyance the suit was presenting. She reached out to shake his hand and he instinctively took it.
"My! It must be cold outside!" She commented as Spike pulled back his hands.
He felt like slapping himself. Of course, vampire, cold, dead! He managed a chuckle.
"Oh Will is always freezing! I swear it's a disease!" Buffy quickly covered for her escort.
They all laughed. "This is Tom, and I'm Katherine, William, in case you didn't catch on."
Spike smiled. It was a fake smile. He hated this, hated this, hated this... But Buffy loved it, and he loved her, so he was going to get through this.
They made their way further into the house. "You look absolutely gorgeous Buffy!" Katherine said. "That dress is to die for!"
Spike did agree with that.
"Well, I wasn't sure about the color, I didn't know if I should choose something brighter," Buffy said modestly.
"Oh no! It's beautiful, really," Katherine assured her.
Katherine began introducing Buffy and Spike to the 20 or so guests at the party. Names flew by Buffy and Spike as they said hello and exchanged greetings.
The man in the blue was Harry? Or was he Jake? And that woman in the green was Daisy right? Or maybe... It was so much to handle but Buffy managed.
Spike didn't even attempt to try and remember all the names. He was so confused it was like a whirlwind of happy, married, successful people. He felt so out of place. Who was he compared to these people? He was a vampire, the living dead, he had nothing. Well unless you counted a bloody crypt. He couldn't even afford to whisk Buffy away.
No, instead he was living, for lack of a better word, off of his vampire grand-dad's money. He was a mooch, a loser, a freak. What was he doing here?
Buffy, beautiful Buffy, was standing next to him, allowing his arm to wrap around her waist. Smiling and laughing with these people. God she was made for this life. She was so happy. And he was going to ruin it for her. He was going to screw it up and she was going to be sad.
'Tough it up ol' boy,' Spike told himself. 'For Buffy. For Buffy,' he chanted.
Dinner was wonderful. Buffy loved the fish and the special rice blend. Spike moved food around on his plate and pretended to be full from eating earlier. Buffy was engaged in conversation the whole time. Spike sat quietly listening and keeping a faint smile on his face. 'For Buffy.'
After dinner everyone sat in the parlor drinking after-dinner wine and chatting as the evening wore down. Jazz played in the background. People floated out slowly.
Buffy and Spike were one of the last couples to leave. Buffy thanked Katherine profusely, insisting it had been wonderful and yes, she would come again soon to visit Katherine, now familiarly called Kathy.
Buffy and Spike started towards the door slowly, Buffy was almost dreaming as she floated along happily, holding Spike's hand.
"Have fun love?" Spike asked as they walked back to their house.
"More than I want to believe," Buffy said as they walked up the pathway to the door.
"I'm glad," Spike said with all his heart.
"You didn't, did you?" Buffy asked, standing next to the door.
Spike was surprised. "I had...fun," he lied.
Buffy chuckled. "It's ok Will, I know you and I know that it wasn't a barrel of laughs for you. It's not your thing." She shrugged and opened the door.
"I can make it my thing," Spike said as he followed her in and closed the door.
Buffy took off the heels she was wearing, exposing slender yet strong calves as he dress moved up her legs. "I don't want you to change who you are for me Spike."
"I want to, Buffy, I want to!" Spike said vehemently.
Buffy looked at him in the dark, none of the lights were on and the only illumination came from the moon filtering through the windows. "You would go through that every day for me?" She asked cautiously.
"Yes, every hour!" Spike said passionately.
Buffy was amazed. "But... you hated it... you were miserable."
Spike waved a hand in the air to brush it off. "So what? I was with you, I had you on my arm, every man there was jealous of me. I'd do that dinner party over and over if it meant that I could have a claim on you, even a pretend one."
Buffy was dazed. That Spike was willing to give up his identity, that tough, bad-ass vampire she had grown to know, was bewildering. How could he give up so much... for her?
She looked up into his eyes. He stood there with his hands in the suit pocket, looking embarrassed. She slowly reached out and laid her hand on his cheek softly. She guided his face down to hers and kissed him.
It was a short kiss, a simple kiss. But it was a kiss. A kiss you don't give your friend. It was all Spike had ever wanted. For Buffy to kiss him willingly, lovingly almost. Whoa there Spike, don't get too far. Love was probably the furthest thing from Buffy's mind.
"Thank you Spike," she whispered quietly into his ear, and started up the stairs to her room.
