A/N : Thought I was kidding with those warnmings on the previous chapter, didn't you? Til you got to the end, then I think we all realsied how serious I really was, lol. Thanx to; Aleesha, Rachel, fashiongrrl, courtney, Janie, buffspike, Leanne8582, SouthernRain, SlayGal, skybound, Spike's Hottie, for all the great reviews. I'm so glad I decided to write this fic, truth is I almost didn't! Well, I hope you like this next chapter, I loved writing it...
(For disclaimer, etc. see chapter 1)
Chapter 15 : Simple as ABC ~ Attraction, Betrayal, Comfort - 15th November 2003
Saturday night came around again, and as usual something was happening at the Bronze. Me and Riley (who were only barely still together), Willow and Oz, and, Xander and Cordelia, the whole of our gang would be there, ready to party, as always. Willow invited Spike, so thrilled to have her brother around, she wanted to spend every moment with him and he didn't seem to mind too much. His nickname for her, princess, kind of stuck, and I was stupidly jealous that I was just boring Buffy, no special name for me. Anyway, he accepted the offer to join us at the local club and finally meet all our friends, so far the only one he'd seen was Riley and I got the feeling he really didn't like him, after this fateful night, I wouldn't be Riley's biggest fan either...
"Why is he here?" Riley asked, somewhat nastily as he and Buffy danced together. He referred of course to Spike who was currently sitting at the table with Willow, Oz, Cordelia and Xander, drinking and laughing and generally being the centre of attention.
"Willow invited him" Buffy sighed, herself wondering why her 'brother' had to come tonight. She was still trying to force all bad thoughts of him out of her head but found it was like trying to push back the tide - more or less impossible.
As the song ended, the pair went back to the table where their friends sat. Riley offered to fetch drinks as a new, slower song started up. This prompted Cordelia and Xander, and Oz and Willow, to make their way out onto the dancefloor, leaving Buffy and Spike alone.
"So, you having fun?" he asked his 'sister'. She shrugged a reply.
"It's the Bronze, it's fun, but I come here all the time, it's hardly the most exciting thing in the world" she told him, as they watched her friends dance.
"And what is?" he wondered aloud, "The most exciting thing in the world for you, what would it be?"
She turned her head to look at him as his obscure question met her ears. Their eyes met and there was silence, her mouth refusing to open in case the truth fell out from her lips. Riley watched the two and their meaningful stare as he knocked back a large amount of the beer he'd managed to purchase.
"Drinking alone" a voice said off to his right, "that's a never a good sign for a good looking guy like you"
Riley turned to see Faith leaning against the bar, a suggestive smile on her lips. She was well known at Sunnydale High, despite the fact she barely attended. She was a rebel, a bit of a Goth, and a lot of a bad girl.
"You want something, Faith?" he asked her as she pushed herself off the bar and looked over at the girl Riley had been watching. Buffy Summers, she smiled evilly to herself, now there was a girl that needed to be brought down a notch or two.
"Depends what your offering" she answered Riley's question as she took the beer bottle from his hand, took a swig herself and put it back on the bar. She glanced back at Buffy to see her turn and look or her boyfriend now. When she was sure she'd seen him, Faith moved forward and brought her lips to Rileys, grabbing his wrists and forcing his arms around her body - he needed little encouragement.
When the dark haired girl finally moved away from the boy, Buffy was gone, running from the club with Spike shouting behind her. When she didn't stop running he went after her, but she was out of sight by the time he made it out of the doors.
When Buffy arrived back at Revello Drive, she was glad her parents were upstairs, not waiting in the living room for them to come home. She didn't want to explain her tears right now. Despite the fact Riley had been driving her nuts for the past week or more, it hurt to see him kissing another girl, especially someone like Faith.
"Buffy? Willow?" Joyce called from upstairs, after she'd heard the front door slam. The blonde couldn't deal right now. She moved straight through the house and out of the back door.
Spike entered the house just a moment later and Joyce was halfway down the stairs by now.
"Spike?" she frowned, "Is something wrong?"
"Nothing serious" he covered for Buffy, guessing if she hadn't gone straight to her mother with her problems, she obviously didn't want her to know right now, "Buffy just had a headache so I walked her home. Willow's still at the Bronze with her mates"
"Oh, okay" his step-mother smiled as she made her way back up the stairs, leaving Spike to look for Buffy. He found her on the porch steps, her head in her hands and he knew she was crying. Without a word he sat down beside her and gently put a comforting hand on her back.
"He doesn't deserve you, luv" he told her softly and she lifted her head to look at him with red-rimmed eyes.
"But I love him" she sniffed "or I thought I did" she shook her head and looked away for a moment "and I thought he loved me..."
"He's a fool for what he did to you, pet" Spike said comfortingly, as she leaned toward him and his arm went around her back.
"Thanks" she half-smiled as he squeezed her shoulders "You're sweet"
"Yeah, well, tell anyone that and I may have to inflict punishment" he smirked and she had a similar look on her own face now as she looked up at him, so close that their noses were almost touching.
"What could you possibly do to me?" she asked him, never expecting him to do what he did next. In one movement he brought his lips to hers in a gentle kiss, and for a moment Buffy was too surprised and even enjoying it so much that she didn't pull back. Then her brain functions kicked in and her whole body moved backwards.
"What are you doing?" she asked him, frowning a little, but mostly just surprised.
"What I've wanted to do for a while now..." Spike told her huskily, moving in to continue with what he'd started. Buffy brought up her hands to block his advance.
"But...but you're my brother..." she stammered, not only confused by the fact he wanted to kiss her that way, but also feeling so bad about the fact she felt something when he did. She hadn't thought he might like her that way, she'd guessed it was only her imagination when she thought he looked at her a certain way. Her own filthy mind playing tricks on her because she was feeling the attraction that caused so much guilt.
"Buffy? Spike?" a voice called and both people on the porch steps knew it was Willow, who had clearly followed them home after all. It really brought home to Buffy what had just happened between herself and Spike.
"Oh God..." she gasped, fresh tears in her eyes as she stood and ran, a hand to her mouth trying to wipe away what she'd done, but, as she ascended the stairs to her room, she could still feel tingles down her spine and the spinning in her head caused by the thrill of Spike's kiss.
To sum up, I felt sick. I barely slept that night, I was so panicked by what might happen, it was becoming far too real. I was so upset over Riley, and Spike was being so nice, just like I always thought my brother would be if I needed him, but when he kissed me...I hate myself for the feelings he made me feel, and I tried to hate him for making it happen, but I can't hate him, I love him too much for that. Anyway, I managed to avoid giving any explanation to Willow, since she assumed my tears were over Riley and Faith, and obviously Spike didn't tell her either. I started to think perhaps he'd regretted it too, which was both a wonderful and a horrible thing all at the same time. It's so hard to explain to you the conflicting emotions he managed to cause, but Spike mixed me up in all kinds of good and bad ways. But still I was naive and thought I could just force him be the brother I wanted, it was far too late for that, of course, but it didn't stop me from stupidly trying...
To Be Continued...
