Dawn walked silently through the streets, every step she gave echoing loudly. Or at least that was the impression it gave to her. A mild rain was starting to fall, making dark circles on her jacket. She hated rain. It was depressing. She used to like it. When she was a little kid she could spend hours staring out of the window while the gray rain fell. But then it happened. The night when Glory caught her, the night when Buffy died... it had been raining.

Dawn looked around her at the empty street. It was creepy, she should've let Darren to walk her. But she wanted to be alone, she wanted time to think... about Spike. Ever since the kiss she had started to see him under another light. It was weird. Sure, she knew he was hot, and she had had a huge crush on him when he was fourteen, but she never thought it'd actually be something between them... he had always been sort of her guardian, the one in charge of protecting her and defending her from Buffy. There was always the illusion that something might happen... but it was always been that: an illusion, a dream. She never expected it to be true.

Dawn sighed. And then she heard something. Steps. They were following her. She stopped for a moment to listen to it, but she couldn't hear anything. She continued walking, listening. And then she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Dawn yelled, turned around and kicked the person... hard. Then she took a couple of steps back to see who was it. It was Spike.

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Gee! Spike, you scared the crap out of me!"

"Yeah, well. You beat the crap out of me," he said, with a painful look on his face. "Bloody hell."

Dawn giggled. "Sorry. Didn't know it was you."

"Just remind me to never do that again."

"Deal," she said, handing him her hand to help him stand up. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Vampire strength and all," he said, accepting her hand. "Although I gotta tell ya, you've got your sister's strength."

"Well, that's not such a surprise since I was made out of her."

"I'm surprised that they didn't choose you as the bloody Slayer."

"Yeah, well, I ran away before they had the chance, and since nobody knew where I was..."

"Smart girl, you were," he said. "Jesus, bit, this is going to leave a bruise."

"Oh, come on, Spike, stop weeping."

"I am not weeping! I'm informing you."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"I know when someone weeps, I'm an expert on weeping myself."

"Just shut up, Nibblet."

"Bite me." Okay, why was she being so rude?

"You know I would if I could." Dawn rolled her eyes. "Ok, I see your in a bloody mood tonight, so I'll just leave," he said, turning around and starting to walk away.

But before he could give a step, he felt a small hand grabbing his arm. Spike grinned.

"No, Spike. Look, I'm sorry. It's just, it's late, and I'm really tired."

Spike shrugged in what he thought was a casual way.

Dawn looked up. Rain was starting to fall harder, and she was getting soaked. "I really should get going. I'm wet, and it's cold. I could catch a cold and that's the least that I want."

"Well, why don't you stay over at my crypt. It sure is nearer. And you wouldn't risk catching a bloody cold."

Dawn hesitated. "Um, Spike, I don't know. I mean, my roommates might get worried and I told Darren I'd go straight to the campus."

"Well, you can call them from the crypt."

"You've got a phone?" she said, raising an eyebrow, "In the crypt?"

"Yeah, what 'bout it?"

"Nothing, it's just... weird," she said, shrugging.

"So, are you staying or would you rather walk all soddin' wet?"

Dawn looked down at herself. Spike was right, she was getting soaked. And she had just realized that she was freezing. "Okay."

They walked silently through the cemetery, neither of them knowing what to say. Suddenly a vamp jumped behind them. Dawn yelled, at first really shocked to do anything. But after she realized Spike was fighting the vamp she decided she might as well make herself useful. She scanned the ground for a piece of wood or something, grabbing a branch she sneaked up behind the vamp and buried it on his back. He yelled before turning into dust.

Dawn sighed. "It'd been a while since I last saw one of those."

"Yeah, me too."

They finished their way to the crypt. At the time they arrived Dawn was shaking. But she wasn't letting Spike think she was that vulnerable.

But he did notice, nevertheless. "Dawn, you're freezing," he said.

"What? Uh, no. I'm okay, really. It's just the rain and the shock of the vamp and that, you know. But I'm fine," she said, trying to sound convincing.

"Yeah, right. And I'm not a blood-sucker anymore."

"Really?" she said, in faking surprise. "Why hadn't you told me?"

But Spike didn't answer. He just rolled his eyes and handed her a towel. When she was a little dryer he put on her shoulders his precious black duster.

Dawn looked at him, surprised. "Um, Spike. I'm okay. I don't need to borrow your duster, it'll only get wet," she said, handing it back to him.

"No. I won't accept it. Take it. Or I'll kill you."

Dawn smiled. "I guess I'll have to accept it then," she said, standing up and walking around the room.

"What are you looking for?"

"The phone. You said you have one."

"Oh, yeah, right. It's right over there," he said, walking across the room, pointing it to her.

She hesitated before grabbing it. "You don't mind, do you?" she asked. Spike shook his head.

Dawn held the auricular next to her ear, and dialed her dorm's number. The line rang a couple of times, before someone answered.

"Hello?" it was Alicia.

"Alicia? It's Dawn." She heard some noises in the background, that after a moment she recognized like the voice of a guy muttering something like who's it?

"Oh, Dawn. Couldn't have you called in a worse time?"

"I'm just calling to let you know I won't get home tonight," she said, making a face, "and I'm glad I'm not."

"Yeah, well. Lucy is staying at her boyfriend's and I figured you'd stay with Darren."

"You figured wrong, but it's okay. I just called so you wouldn't worry, but I see that I wasn't even a part of your thoughts," she said, chuckling.

"So, where are you staying, then? You said you weren't at Darren's."

"At Spike's."

Dawn could swear she heard her friend grinning at the other side of the line. "Spike?"

"Yeah..."

"So," Alicia said in a teasing tone, "how did you end up at Spike's?"

Dawn looked around to see if Spike was near. She didn't see him, he was probably getting some blood. "Well," she muttered to the phone, "I ran into him and it was starting to rain, and his place was near, so he said I could stay here."

"Yeah, right."

"It's true!"

"I'm sure it is."

"Alicia, take that stupid smirk off your face!"

"How could you possibly know if I'm smirking?"

"Because," she said, a bit irritably, "I know you."

"Whatever. Listen, Dawnie, I have to go. I'll talk to you tomorrow... and I want all the details!"

Dawn was about to answer something but then her red-head friend hung up. Dawn rolled her eyes, that was so typical of Alicia.

She hung up and looked for Spike. Like she thought, he was sat in front of the TV, with a glass full of blood in his hand.

"I still don't get what vampires find so tasty about blood," she said.

He startled, making a few drops fall out of the glass. "Dammit, Nibblet. That's gonna leave a spot."

"Don't complain. I didn't drop it."

"But it was your fault."

"Okay, whatever." She walked around the room. "So, do you have any food? Real food? Like the kind I can eat."

"Not that I know."

"Why not?"

Spike didn't answer. Instead, he stood up and open the fridge. Inside an old sandwich was laying. He took it and handed it to Dawn.

"Here," he said. "It's all I have."

Dawn examined the sandwich with a disgusted look on her face. "You're not serious, are you?" she said. Spike shrugged. "Spike, this thing has fungi!"

Spike shrugged again. "I guess you'll starve then."

"I guess. But really, tell me, what is it that you vamps find so tasty about blood."

"How would I know? I just like it."

"How does it taste like?" she said.

Spike raised an eyebrow. "Haven't you ever tasted blood?"

"Ew, that's disgusting. But I guess I have, when you're a little kid and you cut yourself, and you lick it so it stops bleeding." Spike made a face. "But come to think about it, I was never a little kid. So, no. I guess I've never tasted blood."

Spike stood up once more. This time he grabbed a glass and filled it with blood. Then, he handed it to Dawn.

She stared at him. "What's this?"

"Drink it."

"No way."

"Do it."

"Spike, I won't drink human blood. It's just gross."

Spike took the class away from her casually. "Then you won't even know how it tastes like. I can't describe it. You'll live with the doubt the rest of your life."

Spike could see Dawn hesitate, before realization fall in her eyes. He smirked. Was she really going to do it? He was just teasing.

"Okay. I'll do it."

"Really?"

"Y-Yes. Now give that blood back before that I regret it."

Spike did what she said. He looked at her taking the glass with shaky hands and bringing it closer to her lips. He couldn't help but feel envy of that glass; how lame was that? He shook his head to clear his thoughts and drew his attention back at the girl, who's blue eyes were now almost scared.

When she was finally going to take a sip of it, she stopped, without moving the glass of its position. "Are you sure this blood doesn't have AIDS?" she said.

Spike grinned at her. "Hell, no. It'd wouldn't taste this good if it was infected."

Dawn nodded and continued with her challenge.

Then Spike saw the glass finally touching her lips, and her hand leaning it so the blood would come into her mouth. She gulped, and a disgusted look covered her face.

"Aargh! That's gross!" she yelled. Spike laughed. "Don't you dare to laugh. You- you... vampire!" Spike laughed even harder at her "insult". "You knew I'd hate it, wouldn't you? And still you made me drink it!"

"You have to try new bloody experiences. Life is too short for you mortals. Besides, I didn't make you drink it, you did it all by yourself."

Dawn gave him a look, but then grinned. "Well, it sure was a hell of an experience."

She sighed and sat on the couch. "Spike, you don't mind if I go to sleep now, do you? I mean, I have some stuff to do tomorrow morning, and well, I still have to go to my dorm and take a shower, blah, blah, blah."

"No, it's okay, bit," he said. He walked out of the room, and Dawn thought he wasn't coming back, so she started to lay on the couch, covering herself with Spike's duster.

But he did come back. And he had a blanket in his hand. "You didn't think I'd let you freeze, did you?" he said.

Dawn stood up and shook her head. "No, of course not," she said, rather sarcastically.

Spike handed her the blanket, and she took it. Their hands touched a little. Dawn moved it away quickly and threw it at the couch.

"Well, thanks."

"No problem. Have nice dreams."

Dawn laughed. That was a funny thing to say for a vampire. "I will."

Their eyes locked for a moment, but Spike broke the connection; for both of their relieve. "Well, sleep well."

And with that he left the room, leaving Dawn with a feeling of emptiness she couldn't quite fulfill. She sighed and let herself fall on the couch, before falling into a not to good sleep.

A/N- Okay, I know it was short and uneventful, and mainly plotless. But I'm having a hard time writing this fic, 'cause my inspiration kinda flew away or something. So, I really need for you guys to review, otherwise my self-esteem will decrease more than it already is. Please!