A/N : Short chapter for now, which I apologise for, but I am desperately trying to get One Wild Night and Trouble With Boys finished off and I have big events to resolve in both. This fic is gonna go on for a few chapters yet, lots of interesting stuff still to come! Thanx to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter; SweetBitter, uandme4eternity, SpIkEs AnGeL, SouthernRain, courtney, SlayGal, Summersfan, buffspike, Leanne8582, fashiongrrl. Oh and how did Spike burn his hand? Yes fashiongrrl, he was being sweet and making breakfast. Isn't he just a darling? ;-) Read and review if you please! ;-)
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 17 - Men -17th November 2003
Monday came quickly, but not fast enough. I wanted the excuse of school to get me out of the house, away from temptation if I'm completely honest. I caught Spike looking at me several times, and not in a brother-looking-at-his-sister kind of away, believe me. I sneaked looks at him too, though I felt so guilty for feeling what I felt when I did look that I tried to avert my eyes most of the time. Anyway, Monday, Will and I headed off to school and as soon as we arrived Riley was waiting for me...
"Buffy" Riley greeted the blonde as she approached the school entrance with Willow by her side, "I've been waiting for you...I think we need to talk"
"You want me to go?" Willow checked and her sister nodded.
"I'll see you by the lockers in a minute" she told her as the red-head nodded back and walked away, "Say what you have to say Riley" Buffy said, a little irritated. He had effectively cheated on her after all.
"I need to apologise, for what happened at the Bronze" the tall young man told her, "I know it's no excuse but, I had a couple of drinks and I wasn't in the best of moods, then Faith she..."
"Riley" Buffy interrupted, holding her hand up to halt his words, "It's okay" she found herself saying, despite her better judgement, "I know what Faith can be like..I know it's not your fault"
Inside her head, Buffy was laughing at what a prize idiot she was being. Yes, it was true, Faith was a complete Goth-slut and odds were she really did come on to Riley, but either way Buffy had known since yesterday she would end up forgiving her boyfriend. Without the defence of having a boyfriend like Riley, the girl was open to attack from her own bad thoughts as well as Spikes.
"You forgive me?" Riley gasped, a little surprised.
"I do" Buffy sighed, "We're cool, okay?"
"Thankyou" came Riley's answer, "I'd never deliberately do anything to hurt you" he told her honestly, picking up her hand in his.
"I know" Buffy half-smiled, "me either" she told him, as they walked into the building together to find Willow and their other friends.
I know, I did a stupid thing, but I needed that other reason against my having a 'relationship' with Spike, and having a boyfriend helped. Of course, I guessed when my 'brother' found out I was dating the guy who cheated on me he was gonna hit the ceiling. I wasn't wrong. Here's what happened Monday night...
"Where are you going?"
Buffy jumped at the sound of a voice, belonging to the man that had just been filling her mind. She turned to see Spike leaning in her doorway, a questioning look on his face.
"To the Bronze" she told him simply, checking her hair and make-up in the mirror.
"With who?" came her 'brother's second question and Buffy inwardly cringed as she knew she was going to have to answer him honestly.
"With Riley" she said almost inaudibly, keeping her back to him, waiting with her eyes closed for the explosion of Vesuvius type proportions she knew was coming.
"Tell me you're not dating that wanker again!" and there it was, Buffy was sure from the volume and tone of Spike's voice that she would definitely see smoke coming from his ears if she turned around and looked at him, "after what he did to you!" Spike continued to rave and Buffy suddenly felt she needed to defend her man.
"He didn't do anything wrong!" she protested, spinning on her heel to face the man in the doorway, no longer casually leaning there, but standing straight and looking angry, "He'd had a couple of drinks and Faith came onto him!"
Spike almost laughed at how ridiculous it was for a smart girl like Buffy to accept such a stupid excuse from the git.
"Oh so he used that old line, did he?" he smirked, "That's right up there with 'I slipped and my tongue fell in her mouth'"
Buffy looked daggers at him as her eyes teared up, she was so angry at him for saying such things about her boyfriend and for daring to love her the way he did when she just wanted him to be the sibling she craved.
"He's playing you for a fool, luv" Spike said more gently, as he noticed her tears, stepping into the room toward her, he reached to take her hand, "Why can't you see it?"
Snatching her hand away from his reach, Buffy finally found words enough to say.
"You wanna know what I see?" she said quietly angry, "I see a guy in front of me who is supposed to be my brother and who is supposed to care about my happiness..."
"You know I care, Buffy" Spike's voice came out in a whisper that was almost unrecognisable as his own. He really wished she would see past this fantasy family idea that she had. He would be her brother if he could, he'd expected their relationship to be that way, but he couldn't bury his emotions for her, anymore than he could live forever.
"If you care so much" Buffy said, on the verge of tears, he was sure, "Then for God's sake leave me alone and let me be happy" with that she pushed past him and walked out of the room and Spike closed his eyes and sighed.
Part of him understood her problem with him liking her that way, but there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it and deep down he knew she felt the same way. Little things had given him the original hope that she might be falling for him too, just the looks she gave him, odd things she said, but since the kiss they'd shared, it had become so much more than that. She was not that good of an actress he was sure, he knew she felt something then and he was determined to make her admit it now, if it was the last thing he ever did.
It's not looking good is it? Well, as the night went on, it only got worse...
To Be Continued...
Coming soon to a FF.net page near you...
Chapter 17 of One Wild Night
Will Spike and Buffy overcome all the obstacles and end up together???
