"Take away the sensation inside

Bitter sweet migraine in my head

It's like a throbbing tooth ache of the mind

I can't take this feeling anymore

Drain the pressure from the swelling

The sensation's overwhelming

Give me a long kiss goodnight

And everything will be alright

Tell me that I won't feel a thing

So give me novacaine"

~Green Day~

Chapter 12 – Give Me Novacaine

The faint sound of melodic rock playing in the background was strangely soothing as was the smooth velvety voice softly calling her from afar. Her body, however, was reluctant to move in the comfort of her seat and her mind felt fuzzy and slow.

"Buffy, luv, wake up."

Spike shook her slightly then tried again, leaning across his seat to better reach her. "Pet, c'mon now, rise and shine. Can't afford to be stuck in the parking lot all night now, we got to sober you up."

She groaned incoherently, head lolling to the side and thumping against the cool pane of glass of the window. She felt someone pulling her back upright, followed by a pair of hands holding her head up, before tilting it to the other side.

The calming voice sounded closer now. "Don't let me down, Buffy. I want to see those fields of green."

Her eyes slowly fluttered open to see the color of deep ocean blue staring back at her.

"Wow," she croaked roughly, "did anyone ever tell you you've got reeaaally pretty eyes?"

Said pair of eyes lit up and the corners crinkled as he smiled in relief.

"Hmmmm, and a veeeerry kissable set of lips." Her green eyes were suddenly alight with something Spike presumed was drunken lust.

He gulped nervously, "Not that I don't love this boozed up and refreshingly honest version of you, but we can't stay here in my car, luv."

"Is there a law that says we can't?" she pouted, and before he knew what was happening, she scrambled forward, clumsily trying to climb on top of him. Despite Spike's attempts to get her off, she'd somehow managed to grab and squeeze at his crotch, giggling as she did so. He cursed under his breath and bit his lower lip in an attempt to avoid the temptation of her invitation.

As much as he wanted to take her right then, he knew it wouldn't be good for the plan. More importantly, the same part of him that secretly loved Shakespeare also told him that it wouldn't be right to take advantage of her in this state.

"Damn chivalry and conscience." He growled to himself, as he struggled to push her back gently to her side of the seat.

"What?" She asked, ignoring his efforts, still trying to shove her way up on top of him.

With a grunt of force, Spike finally managed to catch hold of her arms, keeping her away from him firmly, "C'mon pet, I've got a better idea."

Buffy stopped squirming and squinted at him. "What could be better than having hot monkey sex right here in the car?"

His body tensed at the imagery and he fought the almost blinding need to shout out a few swear words at the top of his lungs simply to ease the pressure. He was conflicted, one part of him seething with immense hatred at the rest of him for behaving like such a gentleman when he least wanted to be one.

It took a few moments but once he composed himself, he said to her playfully, "Why don't we go up to my apartment and you can see for yourself."

She grinned even wider at the prospect of racy fun in his apartment. Even though some tiny part at the back of her brain was warning her of the potential danger, every other part was telling her to pounce on Spike and have her way with him.

"You're right, that does sound like a better idea." She licked her lips in anticipation and giggled, "I've got a few things I want to try that require lots more space!"

Spike rolled his eyes and suppressed a groan, as he tried to ignore the painful tightening in his pants.

"Oh yeah, baby, that is soooo gooood." She moaned in ecstasy.

Buffy hadn't realized how hungry she was until Spike put the dish in front of her. One whiff was all it took before she started scarfing down the grilled cheese sandwich.

He chuckled in reply, "The secret's in the bacon bits and extra cheddar. Till this day, I still think it's one of the best things you can eat at three in the morning when you're completely smashed."

"Phooey. I'm not drunk, mister!" She insisted, although it was clear to Spike that she still was. He poured them both fresh cups of coffee and took a big gulp from his before placing the other cup next to the plate of grilled cheese. He then joined her at the small dining table, silently watching her wolf down her food with much gusto.

After he'd managed to settle her down on his couch without her trying to remove his pants, Spike had gone to the kitchen to whip up the fastest thing he could think of, given the limited supplies he had. By the time he was done, she was already lightly snoring on his couch and he had to wake her up again.

"Say, did I pass out at some point?" She asked in between chews of melted cheese. "Funny thing is, I can't recall how I got here, but I vaguely remember we were supposed to do something else. How weird is that?"

Damn soddin' hilarious, considering we were supposed to have wild primate sex all over my apartment, he thought dejectedly. He was already regretting his earlier act of gallantry and while he was pretty sure she would forget everything he'd say in a minute, he replied to her question anyway.

"Actually, yes, you did pass out in my car, pet. Had to wake you up and then practically carry you up here, so thank God I'm only on the third floor, 'cause my legs were about to break if I had to climb another flight of those bleedin' stairs."

"And why are we at your place in the first place…?"

"Figured sending you home in your current state would make your mom go mental if she saw. Thought it might be better to sober you up a little before I sent you home to her."

"Awwwww." Buffy smiled warmly. "And you were even kind enough to make me coffee and grilled cheese. I'm really touched."

Spike gave a small shrug and an almost bashful smile, "Promised your mom I'd take care of you, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but you didn't have to do such a good job of it. You've set the bar so high now, I'll be expecting this again next time someone says they'll take care of me."

Spike paused for a beat, trying to gauge if it was the right time to ask her about what had happened. "Luv, not that I want to pry but the only reason you got drunk tonight seems to be because that git made you upset."

At the mention of Parker, she looked down at the crumbs on her plate, avoiding Spike's searching gaze. "Not sure what you're talking about."

"You know bloody well who I'm referring to even if you're only half sober. Buffy, a bloke can't help but notice when the girl he's on a date with completely changes her disposition after he parks his car."

Shifting uncomfortably, she halfheartedly poked at what was left of her food. "So you're saying I'm a lousy date?"

Spike scoffed, "You were a wonderful date, even when you were kicking your legs and yelling at me. It's just… why'd you let Parker do that?"

"Do what?"

Spike could start to hear the defensiveness in her voice, but he pressed on, "Get to you like that."

She looked up at him this time. "That's like asking a dog why it would want to chase a cat. I mean, the guy's an asshat and I hate him. End of story. What else is there to say?"

Now that she was sobering up, Spike could see her walls were going back up as well and thought it best not to push her further. He nodded and got up to clear her plate. "Well, whatever it is, you should know that no matter what went on between you two, he's just a nobody and you, luv, are worth so much more than you realize. If the berk ever tries to get on your nerves again, just remember to keep calm and smack the living daylights out of him."

Buffy took a second to let his words sink in, before mumbling, "Thanks Spike."

"No worries, Buffy."

They looked at each other for a moment and then she couldn't help but snicker, "You know, you're actually a lot nicer than I thought."

"Oi!" Protested Spike, "That's downright offensive. You take that back, woman. Certainly won't have you sullying my Big Bad reputation."

She impishly poked her tongue out at him and he found himself fighting the urge to grab her and kiss her silly right there and then.

By the time they reached Revello Drive, it was half past four in the morning.

"Here we are." She shrugged sheepishly, "Home, sweet home."

Killing the engine, Spike leaned back and took a peek at the front porch. "Reckon your mom would kill me for sending you back this early in the morning?"

"Nah, she's probably asleep. She would've called my cell hours ago if she was waiting up."

"Well, that's good to know. Don't want you getting into any trouble, pet."

"Meh, don't worry about it. And…umm…I'm sorry for being such a crappy date, by the way." She frowned, "I know the thing with Parker was dumb on my part and taking it out on you wasn't fair."

"It's alright, Buffy. Just promise me you won't let him get to you ever again."

She wasn't sure if she could keep that promise but she braved a small smile. "Okay, I vow to try my very best."

Admiring her fortitude, Spike beamed, "That's my girl."

"Woah, wait up, what did you just say there, buddy? What did you mean I'm your girl?"

"Uh…it's merely an expression, pet. It doesn't mean anything, really. I'm sorry if it's offensive or anything like that." He panicked at her sudden annoyance at him. If he wasn't already quite sure she was sober by now, this was a pretty clear enough indication that the open and drunk Buffy had left the building.

"Oh, is that so?" she asked in a serious tone.

Spike didn't quite know how to reply to that and just when he thought she was about to go postal on him, she broke into a cheeky grin.

"Had you there for a second there, didn't I?" She laughed.

"Bloody hell, you think it's funny, eh?" He growled at her, "Making a poor bloke all stressed out over nothing."

"You look so cute when you get nervy." She teased.

"Hey now, let's not get crazy here. I can assure you, cute isn't the right adjective for me."

"On the contrary, I think it suits you perfectly." She grinned.

Spike rolled his eyes, "Bloody hell. You do one nice thing and everyone thinks you're a bleedin' Care Bear."

"Speaking of being nice," Buffy said nervously, despite her jumbled thoughts and anxiety, she tried to apologize, "I had a great time tonight, even with the parts I can't remember, and I'm sure this wasn't quite the date you expected. So, you know, I totally understand if you don't want to go out with me anymore. And yeah, again, I'm really sorry if I ruined your night but..."

"Buffy," Spike interrupted, cutting her rambling short. "Luv, hush up and listen here."

She pursed her lips together and nodded, eyeing him worriedly. While she predicted that he was going to graciously take the out that she'd offered him, it was impossible for her not feel a little disappointed about it.

Spike tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and said, "Firstly, you're not the only person in the world with issues and problems, so please don't sell yourself short because contrary to popular belief, you are a great girl. And secondly, if you want to make it up to me, how about we go out on another date? A right proper type of date too, just so we're clear."

"Wait, I'm sorry, but you said another what?" She asked in surprise, sure that her ears were playing tricks on her.

"You heard me." He chucked in a low rumble that made her feel all warm and tingly. "Let's go do something fun next weekend, just you and me, and all will be forgiven."

"You sure you're not drunk? Or did you, at any point, hurt your head at the party?"

"For Christ's sake, nothing's wrong with my head, you silly bint! Is it so hard to believe that I want to go out with you again?"

While her hormones were screaming yes to another date, her brain was telling her no. Buffy bit her lower lip, not knowing which side to choose.

"I promise there'll be ice cream at some point…and chocolate too if you're good." He winked playfully.

That bit of enticement helped motivate her to a decision.

"Okay, mister but it'd better be Ben and Jerry's Half Baked."

"Consider it done, pet."

Buffy felt her heart pounding when he flashed a smirk that promised lots of wicked things and a whole lot more if she played her cards right. She prayed that she wasn't going to get in over her head with whatever it was that was happening between them.

When she snuck into her bedroom, the shadowed form of Dawn staring at her from her bed nearly made her yelp in surprise.

"Dawnie, what the hell?" she whispered angrily. "Don't just sit and lurk in the dark like that. That's plain disturbing and creepy. And shouldn't you be asleep in your room by now?"

Dawn giggled, "I couldn't sleep, Buffy! Too excited right now and I wanted to gossip for a while. Plus," Dawn folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at her sister, "I could say the same for you. I was home hours ago. Were you and Spike busy having sex somewhere or something?"

Buffy's eyes widened like saucers as she came to sit beside her sister. "Dawn, where are your manners? You don't ask someone outright if they've had sex. And for your information, not that it's any of your bee's wax in the first place, no we did not have sex."

Dawn frowned. "Well, that's a depressing pity. I would've eaten him up like a piece of Krispy Kreme's Original Glazed doughnut if I were you."

Buffy rolled her eyes, "I'm assuming you're not here to only gossip about me and him, right?"

Dawn grinned. "True that. I also wanted to tell you that Xander and I kissed."

"What?" Buffy would've shouted it out loud if it wasn't so early in the morning. "When the heck did that happen?"

"In the car, when he drove me home earlier. It was actually kind of sweet."

"Dawn, please tell me you're not serious." Buffy deadpanned, not daring to trust her sister. "How in the world did that happen?"

"Well, the short version is that he screwed up big time, and just when I was about to hand him his ass, he begged for a chance to explain and after he did, I decided to forgive the guy and during the whole drive back home, he kept on apologizing and I'm not sure if I found it endearing or annoying and I just wanted him to shut up because the next thing I knew, I grabbed him for a kiss and I think I pretty much knocked his socks off."

"And that's the short version?"

Dawn nodded with a lopsided grin.

"Geez Louise. I am now scarred for life with that imagery."

"I've actually never done anything like that before, you know?" Dawn found herself blushing, "I mean, making the first move when it comes to kissing a guy. I hope that doesn't make me seem like I'm slutty or whatever."

Buffy couldn't help but laugh at her sister. "As long as you're not going around kissing every college boy you find cute. If you really like Xander and the feeling's mutual, then I suppose there's no harm in it."

It was Dawn's turn to roll her eyes. "Yeah right, as if I'd ever have the luck to make out with every hot guy on campus!"

"Hey, you never know Dawnie. In a few years, you'll be breaking hearts and taking names wherever you go. Look out, boys!"

"Okay, drama queen, relax. It's only Xander. And speaking of breaking hearts, c'mon, spill, did you and Spike do anything that kids shouldn't be watching?" Dawn's eyes widened and she sat a little straighter.

"I hate to disappoint you but nothing really happened, at least, I don't think so. I can't really remember all of it, to tell the truth. I…I may have tried to do something when we were in his car, but I'm not sure. I sorta have this vague memory of grabbing something that I probably shouldn't have, but it didn't seem like it went anywhere because what I do remember is that he made me a mean grilled cheese sandwich and coffee when we went to his apartment and I was fully clothed."

"Buffy!" Dawn's jaw dropped. "You had the golden opportunity of being in his apartment and you two didn't get down and dirty?"

"Shhhhh!" Buffy rushed to cover her sister's mouth. "Not so loud, Dawn! Don't want to wake mom up, do we?"

She shook her head with Buffy's hand still covering her mouth.

"Remember to keep it down, or it's back to your room, you delinquent!" The older sister warned. Dawn nodded and Buffy removed her hand.

"I can't believe he's been such a…gentleman about it all." Buffy remarked, letting herself fall backwards on the bed, her legs dangling on the floor. "Like, how is that possible? I mean, you've seen the guy on stage and around the groupies. The man's like sex on a stick."

"I hope this means you're going to continue dating him."

Buffy pouted in a frown, "Hmm, in spite of how I royally ruined tonight, he did ask me out for another date."

Dawn squealed in delight and lunged to hug her sister tightly, whispering, "Oh Buffy, I'm so excited for you!"

"You're being a silly goose, you know that?"

"I haven't seen you go out with a guy in ages and if you ask me, some sex on a stick might do you good.

Buffy chuckled, "You are way too young to be saying things like that and not that I'll ever ask you, but thanks for the advice, Dawnie. Let's just see how this second round goes and not get ahead of things, okay. I don't really know what to expect with this guy."

"Fine, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Like, even though I seriously want to kill you sometimes, I still want you to be happy, Buff."

Dawn pulled away from her sister with a smile still stuck on her face.

A week ago, Buffy would've told her sister that it would be impossible for her to find happiness with a guy. But now, with this bleached blond Brit in her life, she wasn't sure anymore. Could Spike actually be the one who would make her happy? It did seem too good to be true, but she found a tiny part of her hoping for the impossible.