Title:
Always Yours
Author: Hieiko
Pairing: Spike/Dawn
Rating:
PG-13 for language
Notes: Written for the livejournal community
spikedawn's
"Choices" challenge.
Summary: Post - Not Fade Away.
Spike's leaving, but it's not that easy.
The battle was over.
Spike didn't expect to live (or un-live, as the case may be) through it, but he did. Maybe he owed that to the army of Slayers that Buffy and Faith had brought with them to help against the Senior Partners of Wolfram and Hart. There had been a few casualties, but eventually the demon army thinned and then disappeared. He'd seen everything, including a few things he would rather he didn't.
Like Buffy and the Great Poof. Why the fuck did those two always seem to end up snogging for no reason? And then she had the audacity to be furious over not being told that he was back from the ashes? Well, sod that.
He was leaving, and this time he meant it. They could go ahead and call him a coward for just leaving a note instead of facing them, but he was still love's bitch; sneaking out while everyone was asleep was the only way he could do this if he didn't want anyone trying to change his mind. Although he wasn't sure if anyone would want him to stay, really.
A sigh passed Spike's lips when he finally slid the doors of the Hyperion shut behind him. He closed his eyes for a moment, hoping he was making the right decision.
"Did you really think you could get away that easily?" A female voice interrupted his thoughts. He stared at the teenager standing on the sidewalk.
"Nib...Dawn," he said, "What are you doing out here? You should be inside."
Dawn tilted her head and raised an eyebrow (something she'd picked up from him, Spike realized). "What, and let you leave just like that?"
Spike looked away from her. "Can't stay, you know that."
"Yeah, I know." She smiled as Spike's gaze focused on her again.
"You...what?" He frowned in confusion.
"I know you're leaving," she said carefully. "But you're not going alone."
"You can't bloody well come with me, Dawn!" Spike protested. "Are you daft?"
She shrugged, giving the duffel bag at her feet a slight kick. Spike only then noticed the bag, and his eyes widened. "You even packed!"
Dawn nodded. "I saw you. All day you looked like you wanted to bolt... and then I just knew." She held up a hand when he opened his mouth to say something. "Don't say no, 'cause I won't accept that. This is my choice. I'm eighteen, and I don't need Buffy's permission to do anything. It's my life. And if you don't want me with you, well, I'll be just fine on my own."
Spike's eyes narrowed. "Oh no, you aren't getting away with that, Dawn..."
"Why don't you call me Nibblet anymore?" she asked suddenly.
"Thought you didn't like it...'sides, you're hardly a little bit anymore," he replied, a bit taken aback by the subject.
Dawn stepped closer to him. "I'll always be your Nibblet, you know," she said softly, before wrapping her arms around him.
He stiffened a little before returning the hug. Impulsively he pressed a kiss against her temple. "Bloody hell. Fine, you can come with me."
"Does this mean I have my best friend back?" she asked in a whisper.
Spike gave her one of his rare, happy smiles. "Was always yours, Nibblet."
