Title : Worth Saving
Author : Sophie
Pairing : Spike/Fred
Rating : PG (for now)
Disclaimer : Not mine
Spoilers : S5 through Hell Bound
PART II - Feather Touch
He rarely sits down but always paces around the lab. He can't stay still for more than five minutes. It makes her laugh. And it makes her dizzy sometimes.
Fred tries to finish her report, but she can't really concentrate when he's around. And not only because he's talking.
Angel came by a little earlier. The two vampires had their usual friendly banter - 'I hate you' 'Not as much as I hate you' 'You are a pain in the ass' 'Sod off, you bloody ponce' - and so on. She never intervenes of course, except when Angel told Spike to leave her alone.
"I like having him around," she told Angel. She could see he was surprised, and had to repress a smile when Spike stuck out his tongue at him behind his back.
Besides, Spike's tongue always brings highly disturbing thoughts.
Fred closes her book, takes off her glasses and rubs her eyes.
"Tired, pet?" he asks, concerned.
"Yeah, a little. It's been a long day. I'm afraid I didn't make much progress on our case."
He smiles because she always says 'our case'. Not 'your case'. They're together in this. "Don't worry. Besides, it's not like I'm totally helpless now, am I? If I really want to, I can touch pretty much everything," he says, trying to grab a stapler.and failing.
"I guess the stapler kinda lacks appeal," she says, giggling.
"Compared to other things, it certainly does," he replies, and the way he looks at her makes her blush. She should be used to it by now. He always does that friendly flirtation with her. That doesn't mean anything.
So she busies herself with putting the lab in order. When she's done, she turns to him. He's facing the window, with a faraway look on his face.
She knows exactly what's on his brain. Or rather.Who.
At that moment, he's very far away from her. And even if she tries to understand it, there's always a stupid and irrational jealousy crawling around her heart. She represses it hard and fast.
"Do you miss her?" she asks softly. She has to remember she's his friend first and foremost. If he needs to talk, she has to be there and listen.
He turns to her and smiles sadly. "Yeah. I do."
"You should call her."
"Well, yeah, except I don't have her number. Big Poofy Boss doesn't want to give it to me, remember?"
She nods, thinking that Angel though might be 250 years old, he's sometimes terribly stupid and immature.
"And as much as I would love to see her one more time, I don't think it would be a good idea."
She sits down next to him and leans on the windowpane. He looks at her and she tries to focus on his words and not on how blue his eyes are.
"Sometimes I've got the feeling we came full circle, you know. Whatever our lives - or unlives - were, they got buried with Sunnydale. She built herself a new life in Europe, probably with Rupert and her sis. She doesn't need me to come and disturb that, and." He stops and his eyes widen, as if he's surprised by what he's about to say. ".And I don't need her. I have a lot of things on my plate right now, what with that bloody spook problem, and maybe trying to figure out why I was brought back. And well, pissing off that wanker you call 'boss' makes it even fun sometimes," he adds with a smirk.
She giggles. "Yeah, I kinda noticed that."
There's a short comfortable silence and she thinks about something. Something she'll regret, but.
"Spike, if you really want, I could get it for you."
"What?"
"Buffy's number. It's in Angel's address book. I know where it is."
"You mean you would steal it for me?"
She blushes again - it's like some chronic disease when he's around - but says "Yeah, if you want to call it that.I was thinking more about sneaking into Angel's office behind his back and borrowing it."
"Sounds a lot like stealing to me, love."
"Well, whatever. Do you want it or not?"
He smiles, watching her tenderly. He doesn't know what he did to deserve this amazing girl's friendship - maybe saving the world helped a little bit - but he's eternally thankful for it.
"Fred.Thank you. But no."
"You sure?"
"Yes. I'll let fate decide. The last time Buffy and I saw each other, everything was said I think.it would make the situation really awkward between us now."
Fred nods, although she doesn't understand everything. He didn't tell her about that. But what matters to her is that she proposed. And he said no.
That was probably not an easy decision for him to make. She would give a lot to be able to hug him now. So she just looks at him with everything she has in her - friendship, compassion, understanding. And other emotions she's not aware of.
He raises his hand and brings it to her cheek.
They both jump simultaneously when it comes in contact.
She closes her eyes at the touch of his palm, and he marvels at the feel of her soft cheek. It's even softer than he thought it would be. And he has thought about it. Every time he lays his eyes on her.
"Thank you, Fred," he whispers, and although he's smiling, his tone is serious.
"You're welcome, William."
To be continued.
PART II - Feather Touch
He rarely sits down but always paces around the lab. He can't stay still for more than five minutes. It makes her laugh. And it makes her dizzy sometimes.
Fred tries to finish her report, but she can't really concentrate when he's around. And not only because he's talking.
Angel came by a little earlier. The two vampires had their usual friendly banter - 'I hate you' 'Not as much as I hate you' 'You are a pain in the ass' 'Sod off, you bloody ponce' - and so on. She never intervenes of course, except when Angel told Spike to leave her alone.
"I like having him around," she told Angel. She could see he was surprised, and had to repress a smile when Spike stuck out his tongue at him behind his back.
Besides, Spike's tongue always brings highly disturbing thoughts.
Fred closes her book, takes off her glasses and rubs her eyes.
"Tired, pet?" he asks, concerned.
"Yeah, a little. It's been a long day. I'm afraid I didn't make much progress on our case."
He smiles because she always says 'our case'. Not 'your case'. They're together in this. "Don't worry. Besides, it's not like I'm totally helpless now, am I? If I really want to, I can touch pretty much everything," he says, trying to grab a stapler.and failing.
"I guess the stapler kinda lacks appeal," she says, giggling.
"Compared to other things, it certainly does," he replies, and the way he looks at her makes her blush. She should be used to it by now. He always does that friendly flirtation with her. That doesn't mean anything.
So she busies herself with putting the lab in order. When she's done, she turns to him. He's facing the window, with a faraway look on his face.
She knows exactly what's on his brain. Or rather.Who.
At that moment, he's very far away from her. And even if she tries to understand it, there's always a stupid and irrational jealousy crawling around her heart. She represses it hard and fast.
"Do you miss her?" she asks softly. She has to remember she's his friend first and foremost. If he needs to talk, she has to be there and listen.
He turns to her and smiles sadly. "Yeah. I do."
"You should call her."
"Well, yeah, except I don't have her number. Big Poofy Boss doesn't want to give it to me, remember?"
She nods, thinking that Angel though might be 250 years old, he's sometimes terribly stupid and immature.
"And as much as I would love to see her one more time, I don't think it would be a good idea."
She sits down next to him and leans on the windowpane. He looks at her and she tries to focus on his words and not on how blue his eyes are.
"Sometimes I've got the feeling we came full circle, you know. Whatever our lives - or unlives - were, they got buried with Sunnydale. She built herself a new life in Europe, probably with Rupert and her sis. She doesn't need me to come and disturb that, and." He stops and his eyes widen, as if he's surprised by what he's about to say. ".And I don't need her. I have a lot of things on my plate right now, what with that bloody spook problem, and maybe trying to figure out why I was brought back. And well, pissing off that wanker you call 'boss' makes it even fun sometimes," he adds with a smirk.
She giggles. "Yeah, I kinda noticed that."
There's a short comfortable silence and she thinks about something. Something she'll regret, but.
"Spike, if you really want, I could get it for you."
"What?"
"Buffy's number. It's in Angel's address book. I know where it is."
"You mean you would steal it for me?"
She blushes again - it's like some chronic disease when he's around - but says "Yeah, if you want to call it that.I was thinking more about sneaking into Angel's office behind his back and borrowing it."
"Sounds a lot like stealing to me, love."
"Well, whatever. Do you want it or not?"
He smiles, watching her tenderly. He doesn't know what he did to deserve this amazing girl's friendship - maybe saving the world helped a little bit - but he's eternally thankful for it.
"Fred.Thank you. But no."
"You sure?"
"Yes. I'll let fate decide. The last time Buffy and I saw each other, everything was said I think.it would make the situation really awkward between us now."
Fred nods, although she doesn't understand everything. He didn't tell her about that. But what matters to her is that she proposed. And he said no.
That was probably not an easy decision for him to make. She would give a lot to be able to hug him now. So she just looks at him with everything she has in her - friendship, compassion, understanding. And other emotions she's not aware of.
He raises his hand and brings it to her cheek.
They both jump simultaneously when it comes in contact.
She closes her eyes at the touch of his palm, and he marvels at the feel of her soft cheek. It's even softer than he thought it would be. And he has thought about it. Every time he lays his eyes on her.
"Thank you, Fred," he whispers, and although he's smiling, his tone is serious.
"You're welcome, William."
To be continued.