A/N : Thanks to everyone who left reviews on chapter two. Of course, I write for my own enjoyment of writing but it always makes me feel even better about a story when the readers leave nice comments for me. Hope you all continue to enjoy this.
(For disclaimer, etc - see chapter 1)
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Chapter 3
"Buffy! Dawn! Can you two girls please hurry up!"
"Ready Mom!" Dawn replied, thundering down the stairs to where her mother was waiting for her. Joyce drove her younger daughter to school most mornings whilst Buffy used to walk to the high school with Cordelia. Today, however, she would be accompanied by the new boy next door.
"Buffy!" Joyce yelled again, "I'm taking Dawn to school now. Hurry up, you don't want to make William late on his first day"
"Yes, Mom" Buffy called back just before she heard two shouts of 'goodbye' and the front door clicking shut behind her mother and sister.
Finally the girl came down the stairs, dressed in a fairly tight, red short sleeved T-shirt and black pants. Her hair was pushed back into a ponytail and she hadn't had much time to put a whole lot of make-up on. Still, it was only school so it didn't matter.
Buffy glanced in the hall mirror for no particular reason as she pulled on her jacket and picked up her bag. As she came out of the front door, as if it were planned, Spike emerged from his house too.
"Good morning, luv" he smiled as he came over to her.
"Hi" she said flatly, noticing he was obviously very into the all-over-black look, since he was wearing jeans, T-shirt, leather jacket and boots all in that colour. The bag slung over his shoulder was also black and blended in with the rest of him. The only thing that really stood out was the hair that gave him his nickname.
She wasn't really aware she was staring at him until he spoke again.
"Something wrong?"
"What?" Buffy shook her head as if to clear it before she answered, "No, nothing wrong, except it's a school day" she smiled and started walking, expecting him to follow her, which he did.
"Schools not your favourite place to be then?" he asked as he fell into step with her.
"Not really" she shook her head before adding "especially not since everyone started leaving" She hadn't really meant to say that part aloud but it was a little late now.
"Who left?" he asked and half of her wanted to tell him while the other half felt like telling him to mind his own business. She was conflicted for a second and then decided it might be nice to have someone to talk to about it all.
"First my boyfriend, Angel, well, ex-boyfriend" she corrected herself, and had to swallow hard as she felt a lump in her throat even now when she thought about him.
"You don't have to tell me, pet" Spike smiled, kindly, "Not if it upsets you"
"It's okay" she smiled back, bravely, "I'm fine" she lied, "It just didn't work out, we were too...different"
'If only he understood just how different' she thought to herself.
"Well that's only one person who left you" Spike pointed out, "and he must have been a bloody stupid bloke to let you go" he added not actually looking at her when he said it and she was glad as she felt herself blush.
"Well, then Cordy left" Buffy continued after a moment, looking at ground as she walked, "she was my best friend, used to live next door, but she left and now..."
"Now, you're stuck with me instead" Spike interrupted.
"Yeah" Buffy answered without thinking, "Oh, I'm sorry" she said quickly, realising she had probably offended him without really meaning to.
"No, that's okay, pet" he told her, even though it had hurt a little. He had sort of hoped she might at least like him a bit.
"Anyway you must have other friends, besides this Cordy" he continued, "and plenty of male hearts must be under your command" he added, quietly, but she heard it. Despite the fact she wasn't really interested in liking him in that way, or at all really, he was being sweet.
"I only have three real friends" she found herself telling him, before catching herself and putting the barriers back up, "And not that it's any of your business but I don't have a boyfriend"
Spike silently thanked all the forces above that at least the girl was single, as Buffy's curiosity got the better of her.
"So what about you?" she asked, glancing at him.
"Well, I haven't got a boyfriend" he smirked and she laughed genuinely at that.
"You know what I mean - friends? girlfriend?" she prompted, 'not that I actually care' she tried to convince herself, as they entered the school gates now.
"To be honest I didn't have a whole lot of time for friends, and people didn't have a lot of time for me either so that worked out nicely" he laughed humourlessly before turning serious again and continuing, "There was a girl, we grew up together and then dated for a while about a year ago" he sighed "but me and Dru, we were just too different I s'pose"
"Like me and Angel" Buffy said without thinking, causing them both to glance at the other at the same time.
"Yeah" said Spike as their eyes met for a second, "Looks like we might have more in common than you thought, luv"
"Buffy!"
Their would-be 'moment' was interrupted by a loud yell of her name from an approaching red-headed female.
"Hey Will, Xander" Buffy greeted as her two friends wandered over, staring a lot at the young man beside her.
"Guys this is my new next door neighbour William Hart" she used his full name simply to annoy him, and she smirked when she did it, "This is Willow Rosenburg and Xander Harris" she introduced.
"Good to meet you, Will" Xander shook his hand and Spike smiled.
"Call me Spike" he told him.
"Spike?" he echoed as if the word were foreign looking at Buffy for some kind of explanation.
"The hair, right?" Willow guessed and smiled brightly when the black clad figure nodded.
"Smart friend you've got here, Buffy" he said, still looking at Willow who blushed furiously, "Sunnydale must be the place for beautiful, intelligent women"
Willow smiled, glancing at Buffy who rolled her eyes. Xander just looked decidedly annoyed 'I'm not going to like this guy' he thought to himself. Spike thought a similar thing about Xander, knowing almost instantly that this guy liked the girl he wanted more than he might admit.
"Well, I guess I should take you to the main office, get your timetable and stuff" Buffy said suddenly, breaking the glare between the two young men.
"Oh, actually Buffy" Xander had a thought "Giles wanted to see you about that slay..." he stopped mid-word when he realised what he was saying in front of the new boy.
"...slay-very project you're doing for history class" he amended and Buffy and Willow sighed with relief that there less than smart friend had not let out the secret.
"Who's Giles?" Spike wondered aloud, suspicious about Xander's problem with getting out his sentence.
"Librarian" Buffy explained a little too quickly "helping me to find some books for my history project, just like Xander said"
Spike watched a strange glance pass between the three people in front of him. There was definitely something going on.
"So" Willow said, suddenly turning to Buffy "how about I take Spike to the office while you and Xander go see Giles"
"Sounds like a plan" the girl nodded and Xander grinned, happy to get the new boy away from the girl he wanted.
"Lead the way, Willow" Spike smiled, causing her to blush again. "See you at lunch, Buffy?" he called as she started to walk away in the opposite direction.
"Yeah, I guess so" she replied, before turning back to her other friend.
"Nice going, Xander" she commented sarcastically on his earlier slip.
"Sorry" he said quietly, thinking perhaps he didn't want to be alone with the Slayer right now after all.
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"So your friend Xander" Spike said to Willow as they walked to the school office together "he likes Buffy, right?"
"Yeah" the red-head sighed "it is the unfortunate truth" she added quietly, but he still heard her.
"You like him?" he guessed.
"What?" she answered too fast "Well, I guess, I kind of, well, yeah" she finally admitted after much rambling. She sighed again "I bet you don't have any problem getting dates" she glanced at him as she said it and he smiled a gorgeous smile.
"As nice a compliment as that is, pet, you'd be surprised" he sighed too "Not quite as popular with some young ladies as I'd like to be" he admitted, thinking primarily of Buffy.
"I'd date you" Willow remarked, before adding "oh god, did I say that out loud?!"
"Yes, luv, you did" Spike told her, trying to stifle a giggle.
"Sorry" she apologise immediately "I mean, why would you want to date me...?" she mumbled.
"Now, come on, Red" he stopped walking and she did too, deciding in that moment she really liked the nickname he used for her "Why not? Just because this Xander bloke can't see your girlfriend potential doesn't mean the rest of the male population is blind"
Willow really appreciated the thought, even though she knew he was probably just being nice. She smiled genuinely and then turned to keep walking.
"Still, you'd rather date Buffy" she stated rather than asked.
"Didn't know I was so obvious" he said, tilting his head at her.
"You're probably not" the red-head admitted "I'm just perceptive" she paused before adding "and anyway, no offence, but I don't think I could date you either. A lot of people don't like him, but to me, Xander Harrs is the greatest guy I ever met" she said almost dreamily.
"Well, I guess that means you and me will just have to be the dreaded F word" Spike smirked and she looked at him oddly.
"Friends" he explained simply.
"Oh, right yes, friends" Willow laughed at her own lack of brain power "Of course, I think we could be very good friends"
TBC