The Nearness Of You

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-----Temptation Waits-----

Spike went numb. He knew he should be angry, jealous, or hurt. But he simply felt nothing. He just stood there and watched his love being kissed by Angel. Spike chastised himself for not knowing better. Of course Buffy would go back to Angel.

Buffy was also stunned; she was being kissed by her first love Angel. Strange how she used to dream of different ways she and Angel would reunite and when the time had come, all she could think about was Spike.

It was when Angel slid his tongue over her bottom lip; trying to coax her into a deeper kiss that Buffy shoved him off. Quickly getting to her feet she punched Angel in his face. Angel looked at Buffy in surprise and tried to approach her again but the slayer put her knee into his groin. She was furious at how Angel thought he could just have her.

"W-w-what? I thought you wanted to be together?" Angel asked, leaning in again for another kiss.

"You don't care what I want! You have no clue what I want," Buffy said before punching him with an upper hand right.

"I love you, Buffy," Angel said pleadingly.

"And I used to love you," Buffy said before walking over to Spike and lacing her fingers with his.

"Buffy, I thought he was your great love?" Spike asked, confused and relieved. Very rarely did Spike ever win in a competition against Angel, especially when a woman was involved.

"Forget about him. I love you," Buffy said as she tenderly kissed Spike.

"I love you too, pet," Spike said with a cocky grin.

"Could somebody please fill me in as to what just happened?" Angel demanded, somewhat pissed off by Buffy's rejection. There was no way Buffy would choose to be with a guy like Spike over him.

"I'm with dead boy, what just happened?" Xander asked, looking around at everyone's faces for possible answers.

"It's obvious. Buffy is fed up with Angel's on again-off again relationship. So she found another vampire who has less commitment issues," Cordelia snapped at the men.

"Way to go! I heard you boned Angel, but I didn't know screwing vampires was a thing for you," Faith said, clapping her hands.

"What can I say? The girl's taste for vampires improves with age," Spike said cockily.

"Too bad your taste for fashion hasn't," Buffy said, rolling her eyes at Spike's remark.

"Funny, I didn't hear any complaints when we were at that cabin," Spike said eyes full of mischief.

"Funny, those events may never happen again, if you don't shut up," Buffy said, elbowing Spike in the side.

"So you and my daughter are together as a couple?" Joyce asked in a matronly tone.

"Only with your permission, Joyce," Spike blurted out nervously. Joyce was the one person who made him nervous and who at the same time he wanted to impress.

"What?" Buffy stared at him, wide-eyed.

"I'm glad the hear that, Spike. And I am glad that Buffy finally found a nice man to date," Joyce replied with an even tone, shooting a disapproving glace at Angel.

"Thanks..." Spike mumbled out sheepishly.

"Congratulations, Buffy. I guess you two became really close," Willow said, giving her friend a supportive hug.

"You have no idea," Buffy said, still in shock.

"So I see new faces, can I get an introduction?" Buffy asked Willow.

"Well you already know Angel, Cordy, Giles, and Xander. The girl with the tattoos wearing the snakeskin pants is Faith, she is the other Slayer," Willow said.

"Nice to meet you, Faith. I see the town is still here, so you're probably a good slayer," Buffy said, shaking the girl's hand.

"Anya, the girl with the pink dress and the cashbox, is Xander's girlfriend," Willow continued.

"Thank you, Anya. The place is beautiful," Buffy said warmly. Upon receiving confused looks Buffy explained, "Anya picked out a place for Spike and I."

"And in the back is Tara," Willow said, blushing as she said Tara's name.

"Nice to meet you, Tara. Spike already told me lots about you," Buffy said waving to the girl in back who still remained silent.

"Everything?" Willow asked nervously.

"Yeah, but I'm cool with it. As long as you are happy," Buffy said reassuringly. Then Willow hugged Buffy again, grateful that her friend was understanding.

"I wasn't sure if I could tell you, I mean, a lot has changed in five years," Willow replied.

"You have no idea..." Buffy replied cryptically.

"Aren't you that painter?" Anya finally spoke up.

"Maybe, what paintings have you seen?" asked Buffy, thankful for the topic change.

"I've seen all of them, the paintings of monsters and vampires. Joyce collects your work at her gallery. My favorite is the one with Spike hitting Angelus with a baseball bat," Anya said, laughing.

"Oh my god! You've seen my work? That's very personal stuff," Buffy exclaimed.

"I'll say, the one with Spike lying in the grass naked with open arms, that's personal," Anya chuckled.

"For awhile, everyone gave me a hard time about posing naked or sleeping with some artist," Spike said with a broad smile.

"Yeah, but then we realized it was Buffy. And so we knew you must have made it up for some weird reason," Xander said laughing.

"Umm, yeah. About that, I didn't make it up. It was something I had actually seen. All my paintings are things I've seen," Buffy explained tentatively.

"You caught Spike about to screw some chick in the park? Spike, you pick up some real easy girls," Xander said.

Spike cringed at the anger he could feel emanating from Buffy. Fear of the slayer was the only thing keeping him from laughing at the ass-kicking the boy was about to receive.

"That 'easy girl' was me," Buffy replied. Then slapped him and watched the realization dawn upon him. "That was me fucking Spike."

"But Buffy, that can't be. You were still my girl, back then," Angel said, looking hurt.

"No, I was nobody's girl. You were trying to kill me, remember?" Buffy demanded harshly.

"So wait, this Spike thing isn't new?" asked Willow, still trying to process all the new information.

"Yes and no. Five years ago Spike and I had sex and that was it, it was a one time good deal thing. And then Spike and I found we had some things in common that drew us back together," Buffy explained.

"Other then sex, what could you two possibly have in common?" Angel asked spitefully.

"Our love of gardening, mate," Spike, replied with a devilish grin.

"What?" Xander asked completely confused.

"Look, I appreciate your concern. But my sex life is not open for discussion," Buffy growled.

"Damn, it's going to be hard topping that. I always try to do bad things, to see if I'll get fired. But you are steep competition. Screwing a vampire, I knew I had a challenge. But two vampires, there is no way I can top that," Faith said excitedly.

"Thanks. That's so sweet of you to point that out. Don't forget I burned down a high school gym and ran away from my slayer duties," Buffy added sarcastically.

"While I am quite certain we could be here for days listening to both of your numerous mistakes, I would like to get some sleep and possibly continue this conversation in the morning. If that is fine with everyone else?" Giles asked as he rubbed his eyes. Most of the group all nodded yes and headed for home. Buffy remained behind to talk with Giles.

"Is there something you needed, Buffy?" Giles asked in his usual stuffy British manner.

"I am so sorry. You must be very disappointed in me," Buffy said as she played with a book that was sitting out.

"Never. You could never disappoint me, Buffy. I fear it is I who failed you," Giles responded softly.

"What are you talking about? You were great a great watcher and father to me. I was the bad person who bolted," Buffy replied sniffling a little.

"We both made mistakes, Buffy. But we are human and as long as you stay here we can work past it," Giles assured the young woman who stood before him.

"So what is Faith like?" Buffy asked with a grin.

"She was put on this earth to torture me. I sometimes dread having to deal with her. She is insolent and ill tempered the Council must hate me. She is the bane of my existence at times," Giles said shuddering. Buffy laughed at her stuffy watcher. Five years could bring a lot of changes, but some things always stayed the same.

"You know you like her. You used to say the same things about me," Buffy laughed.

"You are right, but she is not you. And I have missed you," Giles said placing his hand on Buffy's shoulder.

"I should go. Spike's waiting," Buffy said as she was backing out of the shop.

"Tomorrow?" Giles asked.

"Tomorrow," the blonde slayer replied.

o8o8o8o

"You and your watcher have a nice chat?" Spike asked, placing a kiss on Buffy's temple.

"Yes, but I'm grateful to be out of there," Buffy sighed, feeling relief from the tension.

"What say, I take you home and shag you. Afterwards we can soak in that nice large Jacuzzi tub and then when we are all worn out, we can catch up on some much needed sleep," Spike offered.

"Mmm... I like your plans," Buffy said as she leaned closer to him.

"Wait 'til I get you into that giant bed of ours, you may never want to leave," Spike said wrapping his arms around her.

"I love you, Vampire."

"I love you, Slayer."