Chapter 21
It wasn't that she was trying to avoid him. It wasn't like that at all.
He had nothing to do with the fact that she was standing at the bus stop today - as she had done every day since term started. It had nothing to do with him at all.
It was just that it was summer now, well apparently it's summer, she thought, and the weather was sometimes a lot nicer - that was why she was catching the bus. It had nothing to do with him at all. And definitely had nothing to do with the fact that she didn't want to park outside his house anymore.
She wasn't trying to avoid him.
Buffy sighed, looking at her watch, praying that the bus would at least make an effort at being on time tonight.
Buffy was determinedly cheerful when she walked into the flat a while later. The bus, naturally, had been late.
But I really don't mind standing around she tried to convince herself.
She heard voices emanating from downstairs and followed them down.
"Will? Xan? You home?" she called as she walked down the stairs and into the living room, then stopped, frozen in place at the foot of the stairs.
Willow and Xander were, indeed, home, but there was a third figure in the room, lounging on the sofa as if he had a God-given right to be there, laughing and joking with her friends.
"Hello, pet. Long time, no see." He smirked at her nonchalantly, acting for all the world as if nothing had ever happened between them. Buffy's attempt at cheerfulness vanished and she instantly forgot that she'd practically begged him not to tell anyone what had gone on.
How dare he! she fumed. How dare he waltz in here, pretending like nothing happened! She glared at him.
"What? No 'hello' kiss, luv?" he asked sarcastically, pretending to look hurt.
In actual fact, Spike didn't have to pretend all that hard. He was feeling hurt, especially considering the looks she was throwing his way now.
I did what she asked, I didn't tell, but that's not good enough for her is it?
Willow looked from one to the other and groaned to herself.
They've obviously been fighting again. Wonder what it was this time? Probably something stupid and insignificant. Looks like it's time to change the subject.
"Buffy," Willow said, catching her friend's attention. "Spike's here for a reason - he's got some news."
"Oh yeah?" Buffy said, trying not to sound too interested.
"He's got a job!" Willow exclaimed excitedly. Buffy frowned and looked at Spike, her annoyance at him evaporating as quickly as it had appeared.
"A job? What, like evenings or weekends? Don't you have exams coming up?" she asked, slightly confused.
"Not for now - for after I graduate," he explained patiently.
"Graduate?" Buffy's frown deepened.
"Buffy, he's in his final year, remember." Xander prompted. Buffy's eyes widened slightly as she took this in. She had known that this was Spike's last year at university, but somehow it hadn't really meant anything.
"But, the job, it's around here, isn't it?" she asked, hopefully. Spike shook his head.
"No. It's in Leeds."
"Leeds! But that's, like, a hundred miles away!" Buffy exclaimed, feeling her days of being able to call round and see him at any time slipping away. I might not have actually been around lately, but that's different to not being able to.
"It's not that far - it's only an hour's drive - an' you can visit any time you want." This last comment was directed at everyone in the room, but Spike looked at Buffy as he said it, trying to convey that he meant it especially for her.
"Anyway," interrupted Willow. "We're going out to celebrate - you wanna come?" She looked at Buffy expectantly. Buffy stared at Spike for a minute longer, then shook herself out of the stupor and faced Willow, a slightly dazed look on her face.
"W-w-what?" she stammered.
"Are you coming out tonight?" Willow repeated.
"Er," Buffy couldn't quite form a complete thought. "No. I'm, er, not feeling very well. You go without me. I'm, just going to, go lie down for a bit." With that she turned and walked upstairs.
Willow and Xander exchanged confused looks.
"Maybe I should go check on her - see if she's alright." Willow said, standing up. Spike put a restraining hand on her arm.
"I'll go, Red. Think I know what's up wi' her. You just go get ready."
Buffy was sitting on the bed, staring at the wall when she heard the soft knock. She looked up just as Spike poked his head round the door.
"Mind if I come in?" he asked with a small smile.
"If you must."
He walked into the room and sat down on the chair next to the bed.
"What was all that about downstairs just now?"
"I don't know what you mean" Buffy said, somewhat dismissively.
"I'm talking about the dagger-glares and the whole 'if looks could kill I'd be a tiny pile of dust on the floor right now' looks you were throwing my way. An', you've been avoiding me," he stated matter-of-factly.
"I have not been avoiding you," she denied, unable to meet his eyes for this blatant lie.
"Yeah, right - so you're not gettin' the bus into town again now?" he said, the sarcasm practically dripping from his tone. Buffy raised her eyes to meet his defiantly.
"The fact that I'm getting the bus again has absolutely nothing to do with you."
"Oh, come on! That's a complete load of bollocks, an' you know it! The fact is, you're avoiding me and now you're pissed because I turned up at your flat! If you wanted me out of your life, why the hell didn't you tell me at the time?" The sarcasm had fled and Buffy could hear the anger and hurt coming through now.
"Is that why you're leaving - because of me?" Buffy shot back at him. He stared at her for a moment and then barked out a laugh.
"Oh, yeah, I forgot - everything's always about you, isn't it? Well, I hate to burst your bubble, Goldilocks, but my moving has nothing to do with you!" he sneered.
It was all too much; Buffy looked away and blinked back a tear. Spike caught the movement and was by her side on the bed in an instant. He took her into his arms and held her too him, stroking her hair.
"Hush now, it's okay. I'm sorry I shouted - please don't cry, pet" he said soothingly. She laid her head on his shoulder and breathed in deeply, smiling as she caught the scent of smoke, old leather and something else she couldn't put a word to but that was inherently Spike.
"I'm sorry I've been avoiding you," she whispered. "I just thought it would be weird."
"Well, it was, but only because you were avoiding me. It doesn't have to be, you know." She pulled back from his embrace and looked at him
"And your moving to Leeds has nothing to do with me?" She watched his face as she asked and could have sworn that he blushed slightly.
"That might have been a little bit of a lie actually," he started.
"I knew it! You don't want to be around me!" she declared. Spike laughed.
"No, no - you just don't get it. I was offered a job back down South, but turned it down 'cause it was too far away."
"Oh." She was slightly lost for words, he just smiled.
"And you can come visit any time you want," he thought about this. "In fact, if you don't, I might be forced to hunt you down" he threatened light-heartedly. Buffy looked at him, mock-seriously.
"In that case, you've twisted my arm. I guess I'll be forced to come visit you." She broke out into a wide grin.
"That you will. Now, seeing as how we've got past our little problem, you gonna come out and celebrate?"
"As if I'd miss it - give me ten minutes to change" she declared as she shooed him from the room.
It wasn't that she was trying to avoid him. It wasn't like that at all.
He had nothing to do with the fact that she was standing at the bus stop today - as she had done every day since term started. It had nothing to do with him at all.
It was just that it was summer now, well apparently it's summer, she thought, and the weather was sometimes a lot nicer - that was why she was catching the bus. It had nothing to do with him at all. And definitely had nothing to do with the fact that she didn't want to park outside his house anymore.
She wasn't trying to avoid him.
Buffy sighed, looking at her watch, praying that the bus would at least make an effort at being on time tonight.
Buffy was determinedly cheerful when she walked into the flat a while later. The bus, naturally, had been late.
But I really don't mind standing around she tried to convince herself.
She heard voices emanating from downstairs and followed them down.
"Will? Xan? You home?" she called as she walked down the stairs and into the living room, then stopped, frozen in place at the foot of the stairs.
Willow and Xander were, indeed, home, but there was a third figure in the room, lounging on the sofa as if he had a God-given right to be there, laughing and joking with her friends.
"Hello, pet. Long time, no see." He smirked at her nonchalantly, acting for all the world as if nothing had ever happened between them. Buffy's attempt at cheerfulness vanished and she instantly forgot that she'd practically begged him not to tell anyone what had gone on.
How dare he! she fumed. How dare he waltz in here, pretending like nothing happened! She glared at him.
"What? No 'hello' kiss, luv?" he asked sarcastically, pretending to look hurt.
In actual fact, Spike didn't have to pretend all that hard. He was feeling hurt, especially considering the looks she was throwing his way now.
I did what she asked, I didn't tell, but that's not good enough for her is it?
Willow looked from one to the other and groaned to herself.
They've obviously been fighting again. Wonder what it was this time? Probably something stupid and insignificant. Looks like it's time to change the subject.
"Buffy," Willow said, catching her friend's attention. "Spike's here for a reason - he's got some news."
"Oh yeah?" Buffy said, trying not to sound too interested.
"He's got a job!" Willow exclaimed excitedly. Buffy frowned and looked at Spike, her annoyance at him evaporating as quickly as it had appeared.
"A job? What, like evenings or weekends? Don't you have exams coming up?" she asked, slightly confused.
"Not for now - for after I graduate," he explained patiently.
"Graduate?" Buffy's frown deepened.
"Buffy, he's in his final year, remember." Xander prompted. Buffy's eyes widened slightly as she took this in. She had known that this was Spike's last year at university, but somehow it hadn't really meant anything.
"But, the job, it's around here, isn't it?" she asked, hopefully. Spike shook his head.
"No. It's in Leeds."
"Leeds! But that's, like, a hundred miles away!" Buffy exclaimed, feeling her days of being able to call round and see him at any time slipping away. I might not have actually been around lately, but that's different to not being able to.
"It's not that far - it's only an hour's drive - an' you can visit any time you want." This last comment was directed at everyone in the room, but Spike looked at Buffy as he said it, trying to convey that he meant it especially for her.
"Anyway," interrupted Willow. "We're going out to celebrate - you wanna come?" She looked at Buffy expectantly. Buffy stared at Spike for a minute longer, then shook herself out of the stupor and faced Willow, a slightly dazed look on her face.
"W-w-what?" she stammered.
"Are you coming out tonight?" Willow repeated.
"Er," Buffy couldn't quite form a complete thought. "No. I'm, er, not feeling very well. You go without me. I'm, just going to, go lie down for a bit." With that she turned and walked upstairs.
Willow and Xander exchanged confused looks.
"Maybe I should go check on her - see if she's alright." Willow said, standing up. Spike put a restraining hand on her arm.
"I'll go, Red. Think I know what's up wi' her. You just go get ready."
Buffy was sitting on the bed, staring at the wall when she heard the soft knock. She looked up just as Spike poked his head round the door.
"Mind if I come in?" he asked with a small smile.
"If you must."
He walked into the room and sat down on the chair next to the bed.
"What was all that about downstairs just now?"
"I don't know what you mean" Buffy said, somewhat dismissively.
"I'm talking about the dagger-glares and the whole 'if looks could kill I'd be a tiny pile of dust on the floor right now' looks you were throwing my way. An', you've been avoiding me," he stated matter-of-factly.
"I have not been avoiding you," she denied, unable to meet his eyes for this blatant lie.
"Yeah, right - so you're not gettin' the bus into town again now?" he said, the sarcasm practically dripping from his tone. Buffy raised her eyes to meet his defiantly.
"The fact that I'm getting the bus again has absolutely nothing to do with you."
"Oh, come on! That's a complete load of bollocks, an' you know it! The fact is, you're avoiding me and now you're pissed because I turned up at your flat! If you wanted me out of your life, why the hell didn't you tell me at the time?" The sarcasm had fled and Buffy could hear the anger and hurt coming through now.
"Is that why you're leaving - because of me?" Buffy shot back at him. He stared at her for a moment and then barked out a laugh.
"Oh, yeah, I forgot - everything's always about you, isn't it? Well, I hate to burst your bubble, Goldilocks, but my moving has nothing to do with you!" he sneered.
It was all too much; Buffy looked away and blinked back a tear. Spike caught the movement and was by her side on the bed in an instant. He took her into his arms and held her too him, stroking her hair.
"Hush now, it's okay. I'm sorry I shouted - please don't cry, pet" he said soothingly. She laid her head on his shoulder and breathed in deeply, smiling as she caught the scent of smoke, old leather and something else she couldn't put a word to but that was inherently Spike.
"I'm sorry I've been avoiding you," she whispered. "I just thought it would be weird."
"Well, it was, but only because you were avoiding me. It doesn't have to be, you know." She pulled back from his embrace and looked at him
"And your moving to Leeds has nothing to do with me?" She watched his face as she asked and could have sworn that he blushed slightly.
"That might have been a little bit of a lie actually," he started.
"I knew it! You don't want to be around me!" she declared. Spike laughed.
"No, no - you just don't get it. I was offered a job back down South, but turned it down 'cause it was too far away."
"Oh." She was slightly lost for words, he just smiled.
"And you can come visit any time you want," he thought about this. "In fact, if you don't, I might be forced to hunt you down" he threatened light-heartedly. Buffy looked at him, mock-seriously.
"In that case, you've twisted my arm. I guess I'll be forced to come visit you." She broke out into a wide grin.
"That you will. Now, seeing as how we've got past our little problem, you gonna come out and celebrate?"
"As if I'd miss it - give me ten minutes to change" she declared as she shooed him from the room.