"Bloody hell slayer you've got to be kidding me."
"Spike, stop laughing at me and listen for a second," Buffy commanded. However, the vampire's deep chuckles continued. "Spike!" Buffy chastised.
"Sorry," Spike cleared his throat, "please continue slayer."
"I'm done. That's all. I asked a simple question, in response to something that was you're idea, might I add," Buffy said, her lower lips jutting out in an adorable pout. The one that she knew Spike thought was irresistible.
"Vixen," Spike muttered under his breath, allowing a pout of his own to surface on his face as he ran his hands through his bleached hair absent mindedly.
"Please Spike," Buffy whispered, her eyes staring strait into his, a slightly lost look in them. "I have no idea what kind of apartment I can afford, or what kind I want. And it would mean a lot to me if you would come."
"You know I'd do anything for you slayer, but house shopping? I mean, you should see the place I live. I don't really have impeccable taste." Spike said.
"Hmmm," Buffy said, her eyes narrowing in thought.
"What?" Spike asked suspiciously.
"That is a good point. Why don't I know where you live. I mean, you've been to my house tons of time, but I've known you for at least four months and still haven't seen your house."
"You wouldn't like it love. I have one worn in chair, a telly and a cot to sleep on," Spike said.
"Well, if your 'telly' has cable I think I could be quite happy at your house," Buffy responded with a smirk.
"Maybe I'll let you see it before you go back to school. But, for now, I think we should concentrate on your apartment search," Spike said.
"So you're going with me?" Buffy asked, a smile beginning to form on her lips. Spike sighed.
"Yes I'm going with you. But next time I-" Spike was cut off as a very excited Buffy flung herself into Spike's arms babbling about how much fun it was going to be.
"No," Buffy responded simply to Spike's question.
"What do you mean no?" Spike asked incredulously, "The apartment was perfect. It had a nice view, a large kitchen, two bedrooms and a den. It was nice."
"Exactly," Buffy said.
"Huh?" Spike asked.
"I don't need to waste money on a gorgeous apartment with a large kitchen. I can't cook. I suck at cooking. Over the past weeks since you've moved out I've eaten more cheese omelets than anyone else on this earth. And half of the cheese omelets got stuck to the bottom of the pan. So, I really don't need a large kitchen," Buffy said, justifying her decision.
"I guess you're right slayer," Spike grumbled, ignoring the cat that ate the canary grin that spread across the slayer's face at that admission, "Besides, we have two more apartments to look at and they sound nice."
"Where to, fearless leader?" Buffy asked as she and Spike got into his black Desoto and fastened their seatbelts. Spike pulled a balled up newspaper clipping out of his pocket and studied it for a minute before reading of the address to the slayer.
"Chestnut Hill Apartments on Mermaid Lane. Apartment 2B."
"Cool."
"You can't be serious slayer," Spike said, his voice an urgent whisper as they spoke in the den of the apartment they were looking at, the landlady in the room next door.
"It's wonderful Spike. It's near where we train, it has a view, a den, two bedrooms, a large kitchen-"
"The last apartment we visited you said you didn't want a large kitchen," Spike reminded the slayer in an exasperate tone.
"Well I changed my mind," Buffy stated matter-of-factly.
"Women," Spike grumbled good naturedly. He ran a hand through his hair before meeting Buffy's hazel eyes. "You really like it?"
"A lot," Buffy responded honestly. Spike sighed and Buffy bit back the urge to ask him why he breathed when he didn't need to, knowing his response would probably have to do with blond slayer's that drive him insane.
"Fine. I'll co-sign for the apartment with you."
"Thank you Spike," Buffy said, a wide smile breaking out across her face.
"But if you expect me to come over every night and cook dinner for you like I did when I was living with you then you've got another thing coming because-" Spike's rant was cut off by Buffy's amused stare. "What?"
"Just wondering what time you'll be over to help me move my things into my new apartment," Buffy said.
"Eight sound good?" Spike asked with a defeated groan.
"Perfection," Buffy giggled, taking Spike's hand and leading him into the room where the landlady was waiting.
The landlady had given them no trouble. The apartment had been abandoned for several months, probably due to the mysterious disappearance of many residents of LA, and the price wasn't too bad. Buffy would need to get an after school job, but Spike had assured her he would chip in, calling it penance for the way he'd gotten the money he was going to give her. She would have money left over to decorate, buy food, pay for the cable, electricity and water bills and save up for college.
Selling her mother's house had been harder, not because no one wanted it. On the contrary the first day she had up a for sale sign she had gotten incredible offers for the place. What was hard was leaving behind the memories and knowing that he new apartment would have no memories of her mother in it. She wouldn't have images of her mother unpacking boxes, tucking her in at night. The kitchen wouldn't smell like cookies and cocoa. But that was kind of a relief too, because for the first time in four weeks she was out of her mother's shadow. She had a home.
"God this is good. How do you do this?" Buffy asked. The slayer was sitting in front of Spike in the den of her newly furnished apartment with Spike, eating the dinner he had prepared. She didn't remember the exact name of the dish. It was something in Italian. All the slayer knew was that what she was eating was the best ravioli in the entire world.
"I've been around for over a century love. You tend to pick things up. Besides, Angelus' penalty when he didn't like the food was a lot more severe than your whining."
"Angelus?" Buffy asked, confusion evident in her voice. "You've never talked about him before."
"Not much to tell," Spike replied.
"There must be some story that you have. Come on, I tell you everything. I don't know anything about your life."
"He was my sire…my Yoda," Spike began, "For seventy five years we traveled through Europe together. He trained me, taught me to be a vampire. I cared for him like a son would care for his father. I made sure he got the best kills, I made sure we stayed in only the finest accommodations. I did everything for him," Spike said. Buffy smiled at Spike, leaning back and resting her had on his lap as he continued to talk, stroking his fingers through her blond hair in a soothing gesture.
"I was the last childe that Angelus sired. It was strange for a master vampire to only sire two childer. Darla had sired Angelus, and once she did he became the leader, and he sired Drusillia, then me. It took ten years before Drusillia accepted me as a vampire and as her mate. But after she did we were inseparable. That is until…"Spike trailed off.
"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable. I just-" Buffy began. However, she was cut off when Spike continued talking.
"I had been with Drusillia and Angelus had been with Darla for about seventy years by then. Darla and I had gone out hunting that night, and Angelus and Drusillia had stayed in, knowing we would bring kills for them. I went back first, as Darla wanted to track a man home. That's when I found out why Angelus and Drusillia wanted to stay home." Spike paused and took a deep breath. "They were fucking. I found them in bed together, going at it like rabbits. It was like they didn't already have mates. Like they didn't love us. I cared about Drusillia so much, and I cared about Angelus too. That's when I knew that I was different than they were. Darla didn't care that Angelus had cheated on her. She, Angelus and Drusillia went off together after that. I told them I didn't want anything to do with any of them. Drusillia told me she was sorry, begged me to take her back. I wouldn't. If there's one thing I can't stand it's cheating. If you love someone you stay with them. And if you stop loving someone, you tell them, out of respect for their memory and the love you shared. Drusillia and I were together for almost seventy years. And when it was over I realized something."
What?" Buffy asked.
"She never loved me," Spike replied, his voice soft, "I spent seventy years with her, believing that she loved me. I wasted so long."
"It's not your fault. There's no way you could have known," Buffy whispered comfortingly. Sitting up the slayer turned so that she was still facing Spike and stroked his cheek lightly. "Besides, you'll be alive for eternity. Plenty of time to find your one true love," Buffy said, smiling sadly. Spike nodded dumbly at her comment, finding it hard to concentrate as he was too entranced by her eyes which were staring at him, looking strait through him. Without a word Spike closed his eyes lightly and bent down, capturing his lips with hers.
Buffy knew immediately that it wasn't a dream. If Spike's dream lips had been perfection than this was….well, there wasn't a word for it. His lips were softly caressing hers in a motion that spent shivers up her spine. It was a few moments before Spike broke the kiss, staring at the petite slayer with wonder. Her eyes opened only when he spoke her name.
"Buffy," Spike whispered tenderly brushing an errant lock of hair behind her ear.
"Spike," Buffy whispered in response.
"I should go. It's getting late, and we'll be getting together to train tomorrow. I want you to be well rested," Spike said. Buffy nodded dumbly. "I'm sorry," Spike whispered after a moment. Closing her eyes as if it would block the pain that she felt as Spike stood and exited the apartment, locking the door behind him with the spare key the slayer had given him.
Outside the slayer's apartment Spike slumped against the door with a dejected sigh. "Stupid," He muttered allowed, "She's the slayer and you're her friend, and you have to go screw everything up by kissing her. You've got to get over it. She's the slayer, you're a vampire, and you don't have a chance with her. You're evil. You kill and maim and have a gay old time of it." Spike pushed off the door with a sigh and began the long walk home. "Yeah mate, get over it."