Chapter Twelve
Spike sat there, just gazing into Buffy's eyes. "Well? How do you feel?"
"I feel…" Buffy kept her gaze, possibly love, on him. Her face quickly changed to frustration and she punched him in the face.
"Ow! Bloody hell!" Spike's hands flew to his nose, shielding it from any more harm. He ran his fingers over it, looking for broken bones and thankfully not finding any. "What was that? What about the love thing?"
"Thanks to your anti Baywatch act, I coughed it up. That pool isn't exactly warm."
"So you're not in love with me?"
"No! All I am is cold!" Buffy curled into a ball.
"Well forgive me for not wanting you to look at Angel."
"What do you care anyway?"
"You're my fiancée!"
"Not by choice!"
"That doesn't change the fact that you're my fiancée!"
"That doesn't change the fact that I don't want to be!" They looked away from each other, words being difficult to say at the moment. What a jerk! He throws me into the pool so I wouldn't fall in love with my crush, just because he thinks I'm his property. She took a secret glance at him. He looked frustrated and sad at the moment. But he was being sincere, in his own annoying Spike way. And he said he didn't deserve me. "Thank you." Spike looked at her. "For saying what you said. It was sweet."
"Yeah, sure," Spike said, still holding a grudge.
"You always have to do that! If I say something nice, you act like I don't really mean it."
"How do I know if you do?"
"By the lack of sarcastic tone in my voice."
"That never happens."
"Except a minute ago when I thanked you," Buffy argued. "I'm serious, that was a fully sincere thank you. That is if you were sincere about the me not deserving you part."
"What if I wasn't?"
"Then I'll punch you again."
Spike looked at the pool. Did I mean what I said? I saw Angel at the house and panicked once I thought I could lose her to him. Maybe I actually like her. No, I can't. We have a relationship based on complete hatred. "I…" What am you going to say? Just say something and hopefully it's what I want to say. "I did. Kinda." Yes! Wait, or no. Did I want to say that?
"Kinda? You can't kinda mean that. You either do or don't."
"Then I… do. Or don't. Wait, what's the question?"
"Forget it." Buffy stood up and walked past him.
"Wait!" Spike called to her.
Buffy stopped and faced him. "What?"
"I… I'm sorry."
"For?"
"For all I've said and done and… haven't done."
Buffy looked confused and took a look around. "There isn't a bucket of water that's gonna fall on my head or anything is there. Because you pushing me in the pool already, kinda defeats the purpose."
"No, I'm being sincere, as you said."
"Then I thank you. Sincerely." They were silent for about a minute before Buffy asked, "So are we going to go back to fighting or actually try to get along now?"
"Not sure."
"Okay. Well, I'm just gonna go inside and dry off."
"And I'll go back home." Spike stood up and walked down the steps to the ground.
"Okay."
"Okay." Spike went out the gate and Buffy went in the door.
Willow quickly ran into the other room so Buffy didn't know she was watching them. "Hey," Willow said. "Angel disappeared."
"No, he came around the back."
"Oh no! The pill!"
"It's floating around in the pool. Hence my wetness."
"Why are you-"
"Spike pushed me in so I wouldn't look at Angel and fall in love with him."
"Aww!"
"Uck!" Buffy opposed.
"Uck? You don't see any cuteness there?"
"Well, sorta. I mean, he said I know we fight but I don't want you looking at someone who doesn't deserve you. Then he said he doesn't even deserve me. Then I asked if he meant it and he said kinda!"
"Kinda?"
"Yea! So I said there's no kinda only do or don't and he said do and don't."
"So, what're you gonna do?"
"I don't know. I just want to dry off and relax."
"Sorry Buffy, but I don't think you'll be able to relax after what you said just happened," Willow said timidly.
"I know. And that sucks. But he's all I think about and it aggravates me because I don't want to. I think about what a jerk he is, the annoying prank he just pulled or how I'm going to get him back."
Willow wore a smirk. "Sounds a little like this thing called love."
"What? Absolutely not! Love is thinking positive things about someone like, 'I can't wait 'til he comes home' or 'wow I feel so good around him. Not, 'how long is it going to be until he goes to sleep so I can have some peace and quiet?'"
"Okay. Well, why don't you head upstairs and dry off. I can put your clothes in the dryer if you want."
"Actually, I think I'll just head home. The love scare's over now so…"
"All right. I'll call Oz then."
"Okay. Have fun." They gave each other a short hug before Buffy left.
Buffy opened her front door and went inside. "Buffy" Joyce asked from the living room.
"Yeah?" she asked, afraid she'd done something wrong.
"Why are you all wet?" she asked concerned.
"Oh. The Ramison's have a pool and me and Willow were sitting by it when I fell in. I'm all right. Just, need a fuzzy towel."
"Are you sure you're all right?" Joyce placed her hand on her daughters soaked hair.
"Mom, I'm fine." Buffy removed it from her head.
"All right. Oh, Angel came by looking for you."
"I know. He stopped by."
"He seems like a nice boy."
Buffy smiled. "Yeah, he does doesn't he?" Buffy headed up the stairs. She went into the bathroom and started drying herself off. She removed her white shirt and ran the towel over her skin. She paused when there was a knock on the door. "Yes?"
"It's me."
Buffy rolled her eyes and continued drying. "What is it Spike?"
"I was just wondering if you're okay?"
"I'm fine. Since when did getting wet become a cause for concern?" She removed her pants and dried off the rest of her body. "Did you want something?"
"No." He bit his lower lip and walked away.
Buffy wrapped the towel around her body and opened the door. She noticed Spike was gone. O-kay. She went into her room and got into her comfy light grey sweatpants and black tank top. As she started to climb into her bed, someone tapped on her door. Spike? Buffy walked to her door and opened it. "What?"
"I just…" Spike's mouth remained open, waiting for words to come out.
"Yeah?"
Bugger it! Spike went in for the kill. He held Buffy's face with both his hands as he kissed her deeply.
