Chapter 24

Spike was at the Bronze and watched the two girls talk in the distance. He smiled when Buffy sat down next to him. "So, things seem to be going well over there." She said and Spike nodded as he continued to watch them interact with each other. He thought it would feel weird to see both of his ex-girlfriends getting along so well, but it really didn't. He was just happy that they liked each other, they've been talking for about 20 minutes and even got some dancing in. Faith's dancing was a bit different than Tara's, but Faith was willing to teach her some moves. They caused a group of guys to form around them, but the girls only had eyes for each other. Buffy's attention moved to another area on the dance floor and a smile graced her lips. Willow and Oz seemed to be getting along pretty well also. Willow was laughing at something he said and her whole face lit up. Buffy couldn't remember ever seeing her friend so happy before. She was glad that everyone was paired up. Spike finally looked at Buffy after a few minutes.

"Would you like to dance?" He asked her and she nodded. He then took her hand and pulled her on to the dance floor. They wrapped their arms around each other and started to move to the slow song that was now playing. Buffy looked around her to see all of the couples doing the same thing, some a little closer than others. She smiled and rested her head on Spike's shoulder. She never thought that any of this would ever happen to her. She had an amazing boyfriend that she loved and that loved her back. Things couldn't possibly get any better than that.

"God, Spike. That feels so good. Right there, don't stop." Buffy moaned as Spike continued to massage her shoulders.

"You like that?" He whispered in her ear, which sent shivers up and down her spine.

"Yes, go a little lower." She said and he was happy to oblige. They were at his house because Giles had to go out of town again. Buffy couldn't get any privacy at her house. He started to place soft kisses on her neck as he ran his fingers all over her body. Buffy giggled when he tickled her. That was always her weakness. She was never able to keep a secret when she was younger, all anyone had to do was tickle her and she would spill her guts. He then wrapped his arms around her as they both lay back in his bed. Buffy traced her fingers over his chest. "So, what do you want for Christmas?" She asked and he shrugged.

"I don't need anything. I have everything I want right here." He told her and then planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Well, I should get you something." Spike nodded and ran his fingers through her hair.

"I'm sure I'll love whatever you decide to get." He said and Buffy gave him a soft kiss on the lips.

"Are you working at the Mall this weekend?" She wondered and he nodded again.

"I only have to on Saturday, so I'm all yours after that." She smiled and rested her head on his chest. "I talked to Faith earlier today. She called me from the farm. It looks like the two of them really hit it off. She was even talking about staying there for a little while. That's a relief; the bloody bint ate all of my hot pockets." He said with a pout and Buffy laughed.

"Aww, you poor thing. You know you're gonna miss her." She said in a teasing tone and Spike shrugged.

"Maybe a little, but I'll get more shower time now. She takes forever on just her hair. I don't think I ever want to live with a woman again. It's a bloody nightmare." He said and Buffy knew that the conversation was about to take a serious turn.

"What about when we decide to live together?" She wondered in a soft voice and Spike looked down at her. He raised her head, so she was looking at him.

"You think about that?" Buffy felt her cheeks get red under his gaze, but she figured they needed to have this conversation.

"I think about the future. I'm not saying anything has to happen right now, but I do hope that we would live together some day. Does that freak you out?" She asked a little worried. Spike only gave her a soft smile and shook his head.

"No, it doesn't freak me out. I think about that, too." Buffy sighed in relief and then rested her head back on his chest. They were quiet for a while, until Buffy spoke up again.

"I should really be studying for my test." She said and he held her tighter.

"I have more important studying for you to do." He told her in a husky voice and then kissed her passionately on the lips. All thoughts of school went out of her head after that.

Buffy walked into school a little late the next day and hoped that her 15 minutes of studying that she actually did would be enough. She would usually always get good grades anyway. She headed to her locker and smiled when she saw Willow there. She was talking with Oz and he walked away, leaving a big smile on her friend's face. "That must have been a really good conversation." Buffy said and Willow smiled even bigger.

"He's so great, Buffy. We're going out this weekend, just the two of us. It would be my first official date. Yep, I'm dating now." She claimed and Buffy laughed as she opened her locker.

"I'm really happy for you." Buffy stopped when she noticed a rose in her locker attached with a note. She took it out and read the note. It said: I'm always thinking about you. She smiled and showed it to Willow.

"That was sweet of Spike." She stated and Buffy agreed as she started to get the books that she would need for the day. The note wasn't signed, but Spike was the only person it could have been from. She wondered when he managed to come to the school to leave it in her locker. She didn't worry about that and just thought about the sweet gesture. She would have to thank him later. She closed her locker and then walked to class with Willow, not knowing that she was being watched.