A/N: Thank ye, for the reviews.

Buffy opened the door to Spike's apartment, arms full of bags of groceries. She yelled out his name to make sure he hadn't done a disappearing act again. She needn't have bothered though; he was still sprawled out on the couch in plain view where she had left him. He had insisted he was starving, and Buffy supposed that that might actually be true.

She had, of course, tried to get him to go back to hospital but he was having none of it. He was always so damn defiant. They were a lot alike in that sense.

Spike was staring at the TV, eyes creased up. Obviously his vision hadn't improved at all. He glanced up as she came in, running a hand through his wet hair. He had insisted on having a shower as soon as he got back. It had caused much drama after he found his skin surprisingly sensitive to both scalding hot water and its counterpart ice cold. Buffy had reminded him that since he was human now he was going to have think more carefully about the little things. He had pulled one of his faces. The face that told her she was being a patronizing cow. So, she had excused herself to go out and buy him some food. With the parting message of "If you run away I will hurt you"

She was just an old romantic like that.

"Ah, the provider returns," Spike sat up slowly, blinking tiredly "the hunter-gatherer, back from the stalking grounds, making sure her defenceless schmuck gets fed"

Buffy rolled her eyes "You aren't defenceless. You're just...Diet Pepsi"

"Come again?"

"Well, before you were regular Pepsi and now you're Diet" Buffy shrugged "Less calories, but same old tasty beverage"

Spike quirked an eyebrow "You have the oddest way of putting things"

She placed the shopping bags, all but one, on the coffee table "Thanks"

"Nice to know you still find me tasty, though" Spike gave her a half-grin.

Buffy returned his smile, hesitantly. He was trying to act okay for her, and she knew it. He was smiling and smirking and being cocky, being essentially how Spike was supposed to be. It wasn't genuine though. He just wanted her to see him as the same guy he had been before but he wasn't. At least, not completely. A large part of the essence, the Te of Spike, was that he was a vampire. Now, that had all changed.

She looked down at him as he rummaged through the bags. He was dressed in his usual black T-shirt and jeans. The colour looked harsher on him now, somehow. It may have just been her imagination. He dug out some fruit from the bag, tossed it aside, the vegetables were also discarded. Spike practically stuck his whole head in the bag.

"What, no beer?" He asked, dismayed.

"Spike!" Buffy sighed "You're newly human. Beer – really not appropriate"

Spike pouted "Could have at least got me something with a little taste in it. 'Stead of all these leaf things. I'm not a soddin' horse you know"

Buffy opened the shopping bag she had kept hold of and pulled out a large bucket of spicy buffalo wings. She brandished it and with a majestic sweep of the hand and wiggled her eyebrows a little. Spike's face lit up and his nose sniffed deeply, inhaling the scent. He practically lunged at her.

Buffy ducked away "Uh uh uh, what do you say?"

"Gimme that bucket or lose a limb" Spike glowered.

She tilted her head and paused "I don't think that's what you're supposed to say"

"You're right. I've gone all peculiar from my recent transformation. Let me try it again" Spike held his hand out to her "Gimme that bucket now or lose a limb"

Buffy chuckled but handed him the food anyway. He slumped back down on the chair and wolfed the food down greedily.

She watched the spectacle of Spike eating and groaning at the taste of the food with delight.

"See, there are some advantages to being human" Buffy beamed, then it wavered "Although, you have, like, no table manners. Also, you're gonna barf"

Spike looked up at her, mouth full of food and spluttered "I have got some stamina, you know" A beat, his face turned slightly green "Maybe you're right"

He set the bucket down on the coffee table then walked into the kitchen in search of something to wash it down with. Buffy saw him pull the bag of blood out of the fridge and bring it to his mouth.

"Spike!" She yelled.

He turned to her, perplexed "What?"

The Slayer pointed to his rather vampiric choice of beverage. Spike looked down at the bag in his hand then yelped and chucked it onto the floor, scooting away as if it was a mouse.

"I didn't even think about it," He looked at her, eyes wide "How can something I've eaten for so long...repulse me now?"

Buffy put on a brave face "It's not that wacky. I once had a phase of eating Easy Cheese obsessively. Now I can't even look at the stuff"

Spike looked at her, eyebrow arched "Hardly the same thing. Also, cheese in a can? That's just wrong on so many levels"

She smiled, walking over to the couch and sitting down "Come over here"

"Er, hang on there Slayer. I'm still new to this whole 'life' deal. Can't have you workin' me to death already" Spike held his hands up.

She rolled her eyes again "You wish. Just come here"

Spike closed the fridge and walked towards her slowly. Something was off about the way he was walking, the way his eyes never quite fell on her. Buffy frowned, then realised what the problem was. He was nervous. Spike, of all people, was nervous to be alone with her.

He sat down on the far end of the couch. Buffy scooted over next to him and reached over, taking his hand.

"Spike, you know you can be real with me" She said softly, trying to look him in his eyes.

He snorted, shrugging "I wasn't aware that I wasn't real"

"You know what I mean. You don't have to put on an act. I know you're scared"

"How do you know that?"

"Well, if I was in your shoes I know I would be," Buffy answered "That, and you ran away from the hospital"

"I just needed some space" Spike pulled his hand away, "I still do"

"Space for what? To get beaten up?"

He turned to her and did look her in the eyes then. His jaw tightened and a vein in his neck stuck out angrily. Buffy regretted saying it almost as soon as it left her mouth. Seeing Spike getting the crap kicked out of him like that was something Buffy never thought she would see, at least not unless it was her doing the kicking. She knew that it hurt his pride to be rescued by her, not because she was a girl, but because he was used to being able to take care of himself. Especially against some sleazy street thugs.

"I'm sorry" She said sincerely "I just don't want you to get hurt. I couldn't just let you leave the hospital alone. You're still not up to strength, and you're more vulnerable now"

Spike stood, folding his arms and not looking at her "I can take care of myself"

"I know that" Buffy stood too "but you have to give yourself some time to adjust to this"

Spike glanced at her "Oh, right, and until then I have to be babysat, do I?"

"That isn't what this is, Spike"

"So, what is it then?"

"This is me looking after you, because sometimes everybody needs someone. You taught me that. That I don't have to face things alone. Well, neither do you now" Buffy reached over, took his arm, turning him around to face her "We're in this together"

Spike sighed, melting "Fine, but I still wear the trousers in this relationship"

"Okay," Buffy nodded, smiling "From now on I'm skirt girl. Spike...there's something I want to do..."

He gave her a leer "What happened to 'you wish'. Knew you couldn't go without me for long, pet"

She smacked his arm "Not that"

"Ow, watch the super strength," He pouted "What then?"

Buffy reached up and tentatively placed her hand on his chest. There beneath the material of his T-shirt she could feel his warm skin radiating through, and the pounding of his heart.

She smiled.