Chapter 5
Spike woke up to the sound of rustling in the apartment. He sat up and found Dawn sitting on the bed rummaging through papers. The drawer to his desk was slightly open. A sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach told him what they were.
"Morning, Niblet. What you got there?" He got up and went to sit on the bed with her.
"Did you draw these?" Dawn asked holding up a pile of sketches.
"Bloody hell, can't a man have any privacy." Spike grumbled.
"So did you?" Dawn asked.
"Yeah, I did. Angelus and I spent a lot of time together hiding out. When he wasn't shagging Darla or Dru he was drawing. I sort of took it up. "Spike said.
"So could you teach me? Because I'm taking art class and I'm probably not going to finish the year anyway, but I'm supposed to draw a portrait of someone and so far all my attempts have turned out looking like prehistoric Sponge Bob figures." Dawn said.
"Alright but I'm not that good mind you, amateur at best." Spike warned her.
He rummaged through the desk drawer and came up with a box of charcoal pencils. He took the sheaf of papers from Dawn and found a blank piece of drawing paper that was probably older then Dawn. "Who you goin to draw?" He asked.
Dawn wrinkled her nose and blushed a bit. "I was kind of thinking about you. Cuz I mean you're here and you'd make a good subject and plus you haven't seen your reflection in a few years. I thought it might be nice to see what a badly drawn you would look like."
"Oh, bollocks, now I'm a bleedin art model. As long as you don't want to bloody draw me in the nude. That's an experience I'm not lookin forward to repeatin."
Dawn giggled. "You posed nude for an artist?"
Spike grumbled. "Yeah it was in Paris. Dru had a bleedin fit over this artist but he didn't want to draw her, he wanted to draw me. Not really right in my opinion but anyway Dru wanted a picture of me so I posed nude for him. If you tell anyone that I'll string you up and use you for vampire bait."
Dawn grinned. It was so adorable when he was trying to threaten her. She knew he didn't mean a word of it, regardless of how much he protested.
Spike sat down on the bed next to Dawn, his back propped against the headboard. He laid the paper on a hardback book and took a pencil out of the box. "Okay so you pick a feature and start with that. Doesn't really matter what feature just has to be placed right on the paper. Like if I were goin to draw you, I might start with your eyes." Spike said beginning to sketch Dawn's eye. Dawn took another piece of paper and begin to try and copy Spike's actions, drawing his eye.
They sat in silence, each glancing at each other, making observations and attempting to put them on paper. Dawn thought she'd feel uncomfortable with Spike watching her, but she didn't.
"Bloody hell, what are you doing?" Spike asked glancing at her sketch.
"Drawing your cheekbones." Dawn said.
"My cheekbones do not stick out that much. You're making me look like a bleedin starving refugee." Spike said.
"Oh. Shut. Up. Every girl alive wants your cheekbones, probably most of the dead ones too, and they do stick out that much." Dawn said. She continued drawing Spike's cheekbones. Spike sighed and grumbled. He took a closer look at the sketch she was doing. It wasn't half bad. He had a sneaking suspicion that Dawn was making this up this art project.
"Alright then, you're doing good there, Niblet, just-"he reached his arm around her and leaned over smudging a line with his fingertip. The movement pulled Dawn very close and he caught a whiff of coconut scented shampoo and spice. He'd never noticed the way Dawn smelled. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, blowing it out through his mouth. "There now, see." He said. Spike hesitantly moved his arm from around Dawn's shoulders and went back to working on his own sketch of her.
Dawn continued her drawing, taking serpentine glances at him and chewing on her bottom lip. Spike grinned to himself. When she was concentrating she stuck the very tip of her tongue between her teeth. She looked up at him and smiled.
"I can't get your chin right. You have that little cleft thing in it." Dawn said pointing to his chin. He reached up and ran his fingers over his chin.
"Oh yah, right, forgot about that." He reached around her again and he couldn't help but notice Dawn scooted closer of her own accord when he did. He took the pencil from her and made a little mark, smudged it and handed the pencil back. "There you go."
Dawn beamed up at him. He removed his arm from around her but she didn't move. He needed a smoke and some air. "Alright, Niblet drawing lessons over for the day. I'm goin to smoke a fag." He stood up and took the stairs up into the crypt two at a time. He nearly ran out, shutting the door behind him.
He smoked and paced the cemetery. He inhaled the cigarette smoke trying desperately to rid himself of the smell of coconut and spice. He couldn't get it out of his head. Sugar and spice, that's what little girls are made of, only Dawn wasn't a little girl anymore. When had the bloody Slayer's little sis grown up into such a stunner?
*
Dawn eased up out of the bed. She carefully tested weight on her ankle. It ached but it didn't shoot pain up through her leg. It didn't hurt to breathe as long as she didn't take a deep breath. She hobbled over to Spike's bookshelf. Dawn was surprised to see a collection of Stephen King alongside several ragged leather bound editions of classics. She slid a Stephen King out and hobbled over to her bed. These were the kinds of books her mom never let her read. She said she was afraid it would give her nightmares. Dawn took the book back to bed with her. She leaned up against the pillows and started reading and it was scary. She started to close the book a hundred times. It was eerie and creepy in the same way that real demons and monsters are and it was bloody. Even now Buffy tried to shield her from the bloody parts of slaying. Dawn had only killed vampires before, no muss, no fuss and certainly no blood or guts or gore. She felt the chills run up her spine and she closed the cover, only to open it again. It was like a train wreck, she couldn't look away even though she wanted to.
She was asleep when Spike got back. Stephen King's It lay on her stomach open. He smiled and picked the book up. He slid it back in the bookcase and pulled the blankets up to her chin. He couldn't resist placing a light kiss on her forehead. The bruising on her pretty face had turned a greenish yellow. The cut on her eyebrow was a crusty brown scab. Soon she'd be healed up and she wouldn't need him anymore, at least not for anymore then running interference with Big Sis.
He lay down on the couch and pulled a light blanket over his legs. He'd gotten used to sleeping on the narrow couch and he'd gotten used to going to sleep to the rhythm of Dawn's heartbeat, the soft swoosh of her breathing. He would have thought this much close proximity to a human would drive him mad with hunger and craving for human blood. It didn't though. Quite the opposite, he discovered he enjoyed Dawn's company and her breathing and her heartbeat was soothing. The crypt was going to seem awfully quiet without her around.
Spike was awoken in the middle of the night by a high pitched girly scream. He sat bolt upright, taking a minute to realize what was going on. He could see Dawn sitting straight up in bed screaming her lungs out. He vaulted over the back of the couch and was on the bed with her in arms in an instant. He cradled her to his chest.
"Hey, Niblet. Its okay, I'm right here, Dawn. It was just a dream, Pet." He murmured smoothing her hair back from her face. Her tears were wet against his skin. It was a little while before her tears dried up and turned to sniffles.
"Want to tell me 'bout it?" Spike asked. He leaned back against the bed pillows. Dawn curled her little body up next to his, her head pillowed on his shoulder. He could hear her heartbeat was still a bit fast and her little body shivered against his. He pulled the blankets up over both of them and snuggled her closer, even though he knew his body wouldn't really give her any warmth.
"It was stupid." Dawn said.
"Most nightmares are." Spike said as he stroked her hair.
"That thing from the book, it was chasing me and it caught me. I didn't have any of my powers. It got me on the ground and then it turned into those vamps. They were going to kill me, weren't they?" Dawn said.
"Yeah," Spike said. He'd never been one to sugar coat things.
"I guess I'm lucky you came along then, if you hadn't-"Dawn didn't finish her sentence.
"Listen, Niblet. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you. I made a promise to your Big Sis to take care of you and I intend to keep that promise." Spike said.
Dawn looked up at him with huge blue eyes. Somehow the tears seemed to have made her eyes even bluer. Her red lips were pouty. Spike needed another cigarette. "Is that the only reason you're letting me stay here?" Dawn asked.
"No, Niblet, not the only reason."
Spike heard her heart skip a beat. Her breath trembled. He was glad she didn't ask for an explanation. He wasn't ready to give one. Dawn didn't ask because she was afraid what the answer would be.
A/N For those of you who are interested this story is complete at my web site I will continue posting chapter by chapter here
Spike woke up to the sound of rustling in the apartment. He sat up and found Dawn sitting on the bed rummaging through papers. The drawer to his desk was slightly open. A sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach told him what they were.
"Morning, Niblet. What you got there?" He got up and went to sit on the bed with her.
"Did you draw these?" Dawn asked holding up a pile of sketches.
"Bloody hell, can't a man have any privacy." Spike grumbled.
"So did you?" Dawn asked.
"Yeah, I did. Angelus and I spent a lot of time together hiding out. When he wasn't shagging Darla or Dru he was drawing. I sort of took it up. "Spike said.
"So could you teach me? Because I'm taking art class and I'm probably not going to finish the year anyway, but I'm supposed to draw a portrait of someone and so far all my attempts have turned out looking like prehistoric Sponge Bob figures." Dawn said.
"Alright but I'm not that good mind you, amateur at best." Spike warned her.
He rummaged through the desk drawer and came up with a box of charcoal pencils. He took the sheaf of papers from Dawn and found a blank piece of drawing paper that was probably older then Dawn. "Who you goin to draw?" He asked.
Dawn wrinkled her nose and blushed a bit. "I was kind of thinking about you. Cuz I mean you're here and you'd make a good subject and plus you haven't seen your reflection in a few years. I thought it might be nice to see what a badly drawn you would look like."
"Oh, bollocks, now I'm a bleedin art model. As long as you don't want to bloody draw me in the nude. That's an experience I'm not lookin forward to repeatin."
Dawn giggled. "You posed nude for an artist?"
Spike grumbled. "Yeah it was in Paris. Dru had a bleedin fit over this artist but he didn't want to draw her, he wanted to draw me. Not really right in my opinion but anyway Dru wanted a picture of me so I posed nude for him. If you tell anyone that I'll string you up and use you for vampire bait."
Dawn grinned. It was so adorable when he was trying to threaten her. She knew he didn't mean a word of it, regardless of how much he protested.
Spike sat down on the bed next to Dawn, his back propped against the headboard. He laid the paper on a hardback book and took a pencil out of the box. "Okay so you pick a feature and start with that. Doesn't really matter what feature just has to be placed right on the paper. Like if I were goin to draw you, I might start with your eyes." Spike said beginning to sketch Dawn's eye. Dawn took another piece of paper and begin to try and copy Spike's actions, drawing his eye.
They sat in silence, each glancing at each other, making observations and attempting to put them on paper. Dawn thought she'd feel uncomfortable with Spike watching her, but she didn't.
"Bloody hell, what are you doing?" Spike asked glancing at her sketch.
"Drawing your cheekbones." Dawn said.
"My cheekbones do not stick out that much. You're making me look like a bleedin starving refugee." Spike said.
"Oh. Shut. Up. Every girl alive wants your cheekbones, probably most of the dead ones too, and they do stick out that much." Dawn said. She continued drawing Spike's cheekbones. Spike sighed and grumbled. He took a closer look at the sketch she was doing. It wasn't half bad. He had a sneaking suspicion that Dawn was making this up this art project.
"Alright then, you're doing good there, Niblet, just-"he reached his arm around her and leaned over smudging a line with his fingertip. The movement pulled Dawn very close and he caught a whiff of coconut scented shampoo and spice. He'd never noticed the way Dawn smelled. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, blowing it out through his mouth. "There now, see." He said. Spike hesitantly moved his arm from around Dawn's shoulders and went back to working on his own sketch of her.
Dawn continued her drawing, taking serpentine glances at him and chewing on her bottom lip. Spike grinned to himself. When she was concentrating she stuck the very tip of her tongue between her teeth. She looked up at him and smiled.
"I can't get your chin right. You have that little cleft thing in it." Dawn said pointing to his chin. He reached up and ran his fingers over his chin.
"Oh yah, right, forgot about that." He reached around her again and he couldn't help but notice Dawn scooted closer of her own accord when he did. He took the pencil from her and made a little mark, smudged it and handed the pencil back. "There you go."
Dawn beamed up at him. He removed his arm from around her but she didn't move. He needed a smoke and some air. "Alright, Niblet drawing lessons over for the day. I'm goin to smoke a fag." He stood up and took the stairs up into the crypt two at a time. He nearly ran out, shutting the door behind him.
He smoked and paced the cemetery. He inhaled the cigarette smoke trying desperately to rid himself of the smell of coconut and spice. He couldn't get it out of his head. Sugar and spice, that's what little girls are made of, only Dawn wasn't a little girl anymore. When had the bloody Slayer's little sis grown up into such a stunner?
*
Dawn eased up out of the bed. She carefully tested weight on her ankle. It ached but it didn't shoot pain up through her leg. It didn't hurt to breathe as long as she didn't take a deep breath. She hobbled over to Spike's bookshelf. Dawn was surprised to see a collection of Stephen King alongside several ragged leather bound editions of classics. She slid a Stephen King out and hobbled over to her bed. These were the kinds of books her mom never let her read. She said she was afraid it would give her nightmares. Dawn took the book back to bed with her. She leaned up against the pillows and started reading and it was scary. She started to close the book a hundred times. It was eerie and creepy in the same way that real demons and monsters are and it was bloody. Even now Buffy tried to shield her from the bloody parts of slaying. Dawn had only killed vampires before, no muss, no fuss and certainly no blood or guts or gore. She felt the chills run up her spine and she closed the cover, only to open it again. It was like a train wreck, she couldn't look away even though she wanted to.
She was asleep when Spike got back. Stephen King's It lay on her stomach open. He smiled and picked the book up. He slid it back in the bookcase and pulled the blankets up to her chin. He couldn't resist placing a light kiss on her forehead. The bruising on her pretty face had turned a greenish yellow. The cut on her eyebrow was a crusty brown scab. Soon she'd be healed up and she wouldn't need him anymore, at least not for anymore then running interference with Big Sis.
He lay down on the couch and pulled a light blanket over his legs. He'd gotten used to sleeping on the narrow couch and he'd gotten used to going to sleep to the rhythm of Dawn's heartbeat, the soft swoosh of her breathing. He would have thought this much close proximity to a human would drive him mad with hunger and craving for human blood. It didn't though. Quite the opposite, he discovered he enjoyed Dawn's company and her breathing and her heartbeat was soothing. The crypt was going to seem awfully quiet without her around.
Spike was awoken in the middle of the night by a high pitched girly scream. He sat bolt upright, taking a minute to realize what was going on. He could see Dawn sitting straight up in bed screaming her lungs out. He vaulted over the back of the couch and was on the bed with her in arms in an instant. He cradled her to his chest.
"Hey, Niblet. Its okay, I'm right here, Dawn. It was just a dream, Pet." He murmured smoothing her hair back from her face. Her tears were wet against his skin. It was a little while before her tears dried up and turned to sniffles.
"Want to tell me 'bout it?" Spike asked. He leaned back against the bed pillows. Dawn curled her little body up next to his, her head pillowed on his shoulder. He could hear her heartbeat was still a bit fast and her little body shivered against his. He pulled the blankets up over both of them and snuggled her closer, even though he knew his body wouldn't really give her any warmth.
"It was stupid." Dawn said.
"Most nightmares are." Spike said as he stroked her hair.
"That thing from the book, it was chasing me and it caught me. I didn't have any of my powers. It got me on the ground and then it turned into those vamps. They were going to kill me, weren't they?" Dawn said.
"Yeah," Spike said. He'd never been one to sugar coat things.
"I guess I'm lucky you came along then, if you hadn't-"Dawn didn't finish her sentence.
"Listen, Niblet. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you. I made a promise to your Big Sis to take care of you and I intend to keep that promise." Spike said.
Dawn looked up at him with huge blue eyes. Somehow the tears seemed to have made her eyes even bluer. Her red lips were pouty. Spike needed another cigarette. "Is that the only reason you're letting me stay here?" Dawn asked.
"No, Niblet, not the only reason."
Spike heard her heart skip a beat. Her breath trembled. He was glad she didn't ask for an explanation. He wasn't ready to give one. Dawn didn't ask because she was afraid what the answer would be.
A/N For those of you who are interested this story is complete at my web site I will continue posting chapter by chapter here