Chapter 10
"Au!"
"Sorry luv."
William dabbed at a small cut on Druscilla's cheek. She hadn't asked him anything yet but he was sure it wouldn't take long. When he was done she took his hand.
"You called in a favour from her today. What did you do for her?"
"I gave her a lift."
"Why?"
The question was asked with some sort of agony evident in her voice. In her eyes he could see a flash of uncertainty.
"Because it was dark and she was alone, it was dangerous."
"She clearly didn't believe him. He took both her hands in his.
"Dru luv, look at me."
She did as he asked and met his eyes which were dead serious.
"I am being truly honest right now, pet. I love you, I could never cheat on you, with anyone. I don't care anymore who fancies me, the only one that matters is you. Please say you believe me."
"I believe you."
Spike looked at her, into her eyes. His eyes were of the sort that could see you soul if he only looked close enough. She cast down her eyes.
"You don't believe me." He sighed. He let go of her hand.
"No! I mean, I do. Please Will, don't do this to me."
"I don't have any choice, now have I." He said as he walked out of her reach. "I am not Angel, Dru. And until the time you know and accept that, it's better we don't see each other."
"Will, no!"
He walked to his car, ignoring her cries. He was having trouble keeping back his tears. How he hated Angel! He went down to the Bronze and with a fake ID he bought beer. In one swig he downed half a bottle.
"Isn't that illegal?"
He looked around, Willow was standing next to him.
"Fuck off, I do what I want."
"Will. . ."
"I said, fuck off! Don't you understand English? I want to be alone with my beer. I don't need anyone."
He was pissed, but as Willow laid a hand on his arm his anger vanished.
"Is it Dru?"
"What can I do to make her forget about him? All I get is comparison, with the good and the bad things. I can't do anything right."
He talked quietly, almost to himself, toying with his beer. Then he reached for a stool and helped Willow up.
"What do you think?"
"Are you asking my opinion? Nobody does that."
"Will, I value your opinion. So spill."
"I. . . I think she's still sort of scared that you will turn out to be like him. We both know you're not, but I don't think we know how cruel he can be."
"I guess you're right. But how can I turn it around."
"Be there for her, I guess."
"Oh great, the one thing I didn't do, stick by her. Thanks Willow."
None of this would help him. He stomped off to god knows where. He didn't want to go home to hear his aunt ranting about what she did all day. Then he would snap at her, got send to his room and would mope all night. He kicked a can to the side and followed it with his eyes. . . to a shoed foot.
"Out alone again, luv."
Buffy looked up.
"Yeah."
"Going home? I'll walk ya."
They walked silently alongside each other. When Buffy wanted to cross the street she didn't see the car coming.
"Watch out!"
Will pulled her back and she hissed in pain. He noticed two large bruises on her arm.
"He did this to you, didn't he?"
"He didn't mean to, he was just so angry when he heard you calling in that favour. He thinks we're sleeping together."
"How stupid is that guy? Tomorrow he'll damn well know it!"
"No!"
Buffy stopped him, hands on his chest.
"Let him be, William, please. I'll be fine, really."
"Au!"
"Sorry luv."
William dabbed at a small cut on Druscilla's cheek. She hadn't asked him anything yet but he was sure it wouldn't take long. When he was done she took his hand.
"You called in a favour from her today. What did you do for her?"
"I gave her a lift."
"Why?"
The question was asked with some sort of agony evident in her voice. In her eyes he could see a flash of uncertainty.
"Because it was dark and she was alone, it was dangerous."
"She clearly didn't believe him. He took both her hands in his.
"Dru luv, look at me."
She did as he asked and met his eyes which were dead serious.
"I am being truly honest right now, pet. I love you, I could never cheat on you, with anyone. I don't care anymore who fancies me, the only one that matters is you. Please say you believe me."
"I believe you."
Spike looked at her, into her eyes. His eyes were of the sort that could see you soul if he only looked close enough. She cast down her eyes.
"You don't believe me." He sighed. He let go of her hand.
"No! I mean, I do. Please Will, don't do this to me."
"I don't have any choice, now have I." He said as he walked out of her reach. "I am not Angel, Dru. And until the time you know and accept that, it's better we don't see each other."
"Will, no!"
He walked to his car, ignoring her cries. He was having trouble keeping back his tears. How he hated Angel! He went down to the Bronze and with a fake ID he bought beer. In one swig he downed half a bottle.
"Isn't that illegal?"
He looked around, Willow was standing next to him.
"Fuck off, I do what I want."
"Will. . ."
"I said, fuck off! Don't you understand English? I want to be alone with my beer. I don't need anyone."
He was pissed, but as Willow laid a hand on his arm his anger vanished.
"Is it Dru?"
"What can I do to make her forget about him? All I get is comparison, with the good and the bad things. I can't do anything right."
He talked quietly, almost to himself, toying with his beer. Then he reached for a stool and helped Willow up.
"What do you think?"
"Are you asking my opinion? Nobody does that."
"Will, I value your opinion. So spill."
"I. . . I think she's still sort of scared that you will turn out to be like him. We both know you're not, but I don't think we know how cruel he can be."
"I guess you're right. But how can I turn it around."
"Be there for her, I guess."
"Oh great, the one thing I didn't do, stick by her. Thanks Willow."
None of this would help him. He stomped off to god knows where. He didn't want to go home to hear his aunt ranting about what she did all day. Then he would snap at her, got send to his room and would mope all night. He kicked a can to the side and followed it with his eyes. . . to a shoed foot.
"Out alone again, luv."
Buffy looked up.
"Yeah."
"Going home? I'll walk ya."
They walked silently alongside each other. When Buffy wanted to cross the street she didn't see the car coming.
"Watch out!"
Will pulled her back and she hissed in pain. He noticed two large bruises on her arm.
"He did this to you, didn't he?"
"He didn't mean to, he was just so angry when he heard you calling in that favour. He thinks we're sleeping together."
"How stupid is that guy? Tomorrow he'll damn well know it!"
"No!"
Buffy stopped him, hands on his chest.
"Let him be, William, please. I'll be fine, really."