Chapter 5: A clean slate

The sun was shining brightly as Buffy walked home, congratulating herself on surviving her first day. Without warning, she felt a hand brush her shoulder and jumped, slightly taken aback by the contact. She whipped around to see Spike. As she looked at him, she took in his well-toned body, high cheekbones, piercing blue eyes and his hair. How could anyone miss the hair? It was so blonde and bright it could prevent ships from crashing against rocks. He wore tight black jeans, a red t-shirt and a black leather duster. 'Definitely got the looks' Buffy thought to herself.

"Didn't mean to scare you, luv", Spike said, backing off in mock surrender, "I did shout," he added in his defence, flashing his trademark smirk, "though maybe you got problems with your ears as well as your eyes."

Buffy was about to retort, but then remembered her early conversation with Mr Giles. She simply dangled her headphones in front of him by way of explanation, "are you following me?" she asked annoyed and then instantly realised how ridiculous her question was.

Spike laughed, "Well, we are neighbours, pet., plus with your sense of direction, I thought it safer to keep you where I can see you".

"Hey!" Buffy snapped, "You're the one who stepped out behind a moving car!" she said indignantly.

"Listen luv," Spike said, "I think we got off on the wrong foot… If we're going to be neighbours, we may as well try and be civil with each other," he suggested.

Buffy gave him a sideways glance, she got the impression that that had been a hard thing for him to admit, "I think I can manage that," she said flashing him a smile.

"I'm William…Spike", he corrected quickly. 'William, what did you say that for!' he thought to himself. No one had called him William since his mother died.

"William Spike?" Buffy questioned.

"I don't know why I said William," Spike admitted, "I mean it is technically my name but no one except my mother called me that and…"

"Since she died it doesn't feel right?" Buffy finished and then shot her hand straight over her mouth as she caught Spike's raised eyebrows, "I'm so sorry, I met your father and he may have mentioned it…but I definitely shouldn't have, I…"

Spike interrupted her, "It's no big deal," he started, although the look in his eyes told Buffy it was very much a big deal, she gave him an apologetic smile as he continued, "but for what it's worth…you're right…so I go by Spike now. No one knows me as William, and I'd like to keep it that way," he concluded.

"Hi…Spike!" Buffy emphasised, "I'm Buffy… Summers… Buffy Summers," she realised she was babbling slightly, so she stopped. Spike held out his hand and she smiled, maybe he did have something in common with his father after all. Buffy blushed when Spike took her hand and instead of shaking it, he brought it to his lips and kissed it softly. 'Bloody ponce', he thought to himself even as he did it, "pleasure to meet you Buffy Summers," he said winking.

Buffy began walking again and Spike fell into step with her. The pair enjoyed the cool, autumn breeze as they walked along the road in silence, listening to the maple leaves crunching under their shoes.

"I saw what you did today," Spike said.

"Algebra?" Buffy asked puzzled.

"God you do live up to your hair colour, don't you Goldilocks?" Spike said suppressing a laugh and before Buffy could manage more than an offended look he continued, "I meant for Willow, at the lockers."

"Oh that," Buffy said shrugging, "it was nothing."

"Might be nothing to you, pet, but it sure meant a lot to her," he said giving her a sincere look, "and me," he added.

"You care about her a lot, don't you?" Buffy asked, giving him an approving look.

"Willow's… well," Spike paused as if trying to think of the right words, "she's had a tough year, Harmony and now Ashley, I guess… I look out for her."

"I get it, that protective big brother vibe," Buffy said. Then she stopped and looked at him dead in the eyes, "I like Willow, I wouldn't hurt her."

"No, luv, I don't think you would," Spike said giving her a genuine smile, which soon turned into a smirk, "now you've got to tell me your secret…how d'ya get that silly cow to leave off?"

Buffy tapped her finger against her nose, knowingly, "I've come across her kind before, I know all the week spots," Buffy teased.

The two walked the remainder of the way home deep in conversation. They chatted animatedly about their previous schools, their relationships and even about the heartbreak their families had caused them. So comfortable were they in each other's company that neither realised they had circled the block almost four times, before finally stopping in front of their respective houses.

"What's the Bronze?" Buffy asked at Spike's invitation.

Spike scoffed, "it's a student bar, complete dump if you ask me but there's nowhere else to go and they do occasionally get good bands playing. Oh and they've got this onion…"

Buffy's laughter cut him off as she politely declined, "I have to help Mom and Dawn unpack and I've got to call Angel, but maybe some other time."

Spike nodded his understanding and started to walk off into his house, but turned when Buffy called after him, "it was nice meeting you, Spike," she said, "don't be a stranger."

Spike smiled, "likewise, Goldilocks, drop by anytime."