Spike slipped into the kitchen, placed a blood pack in the refrigerator and strode into the living room. "Alright, Slayer, I'm h—" he stopped short when he saw Buffy was already snuggled in on the couch wedged between her sister on one side and Willow and Tara on the other. Anya was perched on Xander's lap in the chair closest to him while Giles reclined in the chair next to the fireplace.
Xander's head twisted toward him. "What is it now, evil dead, demons on the loose, possessed Halloween decorations?"
Spike held up a six-pack of beer. "Came to watch a bit o'telly with you lot actually. Didn't Buffy give you my RSVP?"
Giles eyed him wearily, setting down his drink. "Surely there must've been some sort of misunderstanding."
"Girl was pretty straightforward with the wording," Spike countered brashly.
Buffy rolled her eyes and shifted her feet under herself to make room on the floor in front of her. "Shut up and sit down, Spike, the movie is about to start."
Spike cast both Xander and Giles a "told you so" smirk as he made his way over to sit on the floor in front of Buffy. Without a word, he pulled out a beer, offering it to her from over his shoulder. Neither of them paid any attention to the wary glances they earned as Buffy accepted the beer and took a grateful sip.
Spike grinned back at Buffy as he recognized the opening scene of the movie. It was a Hammer Horror film starring Christopher Lee. "Was this your doing?" he asked her.
Buffy tried hiding her smile behind a sip of beer. "Maybe…"
That single word accompanied by the slightest roll of a shoulder was enough to trigger something within his chest. Like the first tendril of a seed looking to take root.
He settled against the couch cushion, and Buffy's leg crossed in front of her. It wasn't much, but that tiny bit of contact, the warmth of her body steeping in across his shoulders and the fact she wasn't pushing him away, especially in front of her friends, meant far more to him than he could have ever imagined.
"Didn't you say something about salt and vinegar chips?" Willow asked Tara quietly, looking around the living room at the various snacks.
"Ohh yeah! I totally forgot, I'm sorry," Tara replied, jumping up quickly. "I-I'll get them, does anyone else need anything?"
"I'll take a cherry coke!" Anya responded cheerfully.
Willow turned to Tara with an apologetic pout. "Baby, you don't have to go now, I'm good with pretzels."
"N-no it's okay, I-I'll get it. I think I'll make more popcorn too while I'm at it, we're really going through it fast," she stammered quietly.
Spike caught sight of the nearly full bowl of popcorn in Dawn's lap and cast a questioning gaze toward Buffy who responded with a micro shake of her head. Taking another swig of beer, Spike turned his attention back to the TV.
"You ever hear from your insurance company?" he asked quietly.
Buffy took a handful of barbecue chips and plopped the rest of the bag down into his lap. "They sent a guy out a day or two after I called. He said it would be covered by our policy but didn't say for how much, and he'd be in touch. Which, ya know, not me being all squirmy over it at all."
"Should call'em again. Squeaky wheel and all," Spike replied, popping a couple of chips into his mouth.
Buffy sighed, "…Yeah, you're probably right."
"Course I am. It's what the bloody wankers are supposed to be there for ain't it? You shellin' out your hard-earned for a 'what-if' and you're supposed to be able to collect on it when this sort of thing happens."
"That's the theory," she muttered, snuggling deeper into the cushions with a pout.
"That was good thinking, calling the insurance company," Xander chimed in. "You should have told me, I probably could have helped you."
Spike snorted into his beer.
"Kinda late for that, Xan. I already gave him copies of all the paperwork. Now I'm just waiting to hear back," Buffy said.
Giles shifted forward a little in his seat. "You see Buffy, I told you, you were ready to handle all of life's obligations on your own. You just needed to take the initiative."
Spike cocked his head to the side staring at him with an incredulous look and a scathing retort on the tip of his tongue— When Buffy beat him to it.
"The only reason I called the home insurance people about this in the first place is because Spike brought it up. I wouldn't have ever thought about asking about water damage on my own. I seriously thought it was only for fires. Did you know my mom had all kinds of extra insurance put on this place? Because I didn't."
Giles cast his gaze around the room with a slightly bewildered look on his face. "None of you thought to call the insurance company?"
"Not unless you count Buffy's idea to burn down the house for the insurance money," Dawn volunteered, munching on a piece of popcorn.
"It was a joke people… I wasn't actually going to do it…" she mumbled, turning her attention back to the movie just in time to see another victim succumb to a bloody death.
Spike twisted his head around to look at Buffy. "How the hell did I become the voice of reason in all this?"
"Shut up and watch your cooking show," Buffy countered with a roll of her eyes just as Tara came back in with the chips, Anya's coke, and a second bowl of popcorn.
Spike's stomach rumbled audibly as he turned back to the television, making Buffy giggle quietly. A smile stretched across his face at the silly little in-joke between them.
"Oh my God, Spike, was that seriously your stomach?" Dawn laughed.
Spike tossed a potato chip over his shoulder, bouncing off of Dawn's arm and landing in the popcorn bowl. "What're you doing here anyway, Bit? Thought you'd be out gettin' up to all sorts of candy corn mischief."
"I did have plans, I was supposed to go over to Janice's but my horoscope said I should stick close to family today."
Buffy snorted a laugh at Dawn's explanation. "That and because I told you I didn't want you going out tonight."
"Tell yourself whatever you need to, sis. Your horoscope had some interesting things to say too."
"Ah huh, like what?" Buffy muttered, picking out the random chip from the popcorn bowl and eating it.
"Like significant social changes are happening between the people around you," Dawn intoned wisely.
Buffy laughed. "So my friends have their own lives? Shocker!"
"Come on guys. Movie!" Xander stage whispered earning him a reproachful look from Anya.
(*)
As the first movie came to a close, Spike followed Buffy into the kitchen when she went to refill her soda. She stopped short when she noticed the blood bag sitting on the top shelf of the fridge next to the orange juice. "You seriously brought your own blood?"
Spike pushed past her to grab it. "You said BYOB."
"Ah huh, and I thought that's what the beer was. I didn't realize you brought your dinner too," she quipped.
Spike rolled his eyes and gestured toward the cupboard behind her. "Get me a mug would you, pet?"
She arched a brow. "And how the heck do you even know where the mugs are?"
"Practically lived here for five months, didn't I? Know where a lot of things are," he smirked.
There was something in that smirk that made her heart race and her mouth went dry.
When they returned to the living room it was to find Tara and Willow engrossed in debate with Anya and Xander over the next movie of the evening while Dawn flipped through one of her teen magazines. Buffy eyed the magazine as she and Spike resumed their seats.
"Brushing up on the latest fashion trends?" she asked her sister. "I could totally use some new sweaters."
"There was an interesting article about underwear but I was actually taking another look at the horoscopes. I was trying to remember what else yours said," Dawn answered.
"Besides '…significant social changes…'?"
"Well, they give readings for different areas of your life. I just remembered the general one for the month of November…" she said, running her finger down the page. "Okay, so there's 'Love', 'Money', and 'Health'."
"Yeah huh, and let me guess, it says 'Haha, NO!', 'beware demon damage', and 'barring death by baddie, I'll be in perfect butt kicking condition'. How'd I do?"
Dawn blinked at her dumbly. "Ahh no. It actually says, 'That dry spell you've been in is coming to an end, thanks to Venus. The super great hottie you've been dreaming about may be closer than you think."
Spike shifted into a more comfortable position against Buffy's leg as he took a drink from his mug of blood. Buffy tried to ignore how comforting his presence was, pressed against her leg like a loyal hound.
Except that he isn't a dog, Buffy. He's a vampire, an ally, and now- friend- a super hot friend… and there are much better things he could press against— Holy shit where did that come from?!
Buffy was so distracted by her own inner turmoil that she almost didn't hear what her sister said next.
"Under 'Money' it says, 'Hard work will pay off. Good news is coming your way', and then under 'Health' it says, "Stock up on the vitamin C and tissues, your usual resilience isn't at its peak. Remember to rest and take extra care of yourself this month and don't forget the chicken noodle soup," Dawn finished, tucking her leg under herself, and knocking over the bag of barbecue chips next to Spike.
Spike yanked the bag of chips over to himself. Buffy reached forward, pulled out a large handful of chips and rocked back into her seat, popping one into her mouth. "I get paid Friday, so I guess that one's covered."
"No way, I think it's going to be way better than that. Maybe you'll win money or something! A nice big surprise check," Dawn grinned.
"Ah, yeah… pretty sure you have to enter to win that kind of stuff," Buffy replied with a huff. "And what's with the sicky-ness thing? I mean I'm supernaturally healthy. Come on, I literally crawled out of my grave and started kicking demon ass. I never get sick…" she added flippantly.
Dawn shot Buffy a look of exasperated smugness— a look that Buffy was pretty sure Dawn had patented— and twisted her upper body to eye her sister critically. "Except for that time you got the flu so bad that mom had to take you to the hospital. Sorry, sis, hate to say it but there's a nasty cold going around at school and you're totally gonna get it so I'm going to stockpile the sickie stuff and you're going to thank me for it. Right after you get your good money news."
"How reliable can that reading actually be? It's out of a magazine intended for teenage girls," Xander questioned, casting an uncertain gaze around the room.
Anya shrugged, sitting up a little straighter in his lap. "I guess it depends on the person making up the star charts and their interpretation… and the interpretation of the individual reading it."
"Anya's right," Tara interjected. "Belief, even if it's just belief in the spell you're doing, is an incredibly powerful component in magic, as much as intent. They sort of go hand in hand."
Willow frowned. "Sometimes I don't know if I totally buy the intent thing. I've had plenty of spells go kerflooey, especially when I was first starting out."
"No! You don't say?" Spike drawled sarcastically, earning him a nudge from Buffy's leg.
Giles looked as though there were more than a few things he would like to add as he eyed Willow sternly but the moment was swept away when Dawn started up again.
"Well, mine already came true! Look, 'Virgo: You will receive high praise for a project you have been working on', and I did. We are doing this huge project that is going to take like half of the semester, I just found out I got an A on the first part of the project, and I already have a really good plan for the next part so I'm thinking I'm going to ace this one too," Dawn said confidently.
"Ah huh, and where in that magazine was the part about staying home to annoy your big sister?" Buffy asked dryly.
Dawn sat back in her seat with a huff. "Well duh, that was from this morning's newspaper."
Buffy looked like she was about to say something else when Xander interrupted the bickering sisters. "Know what, I relent, I'm putting in 'Beetlejuice'. I think we need something less with the bitey-fighty and more with the cooky-spooky."
"I'm up for some cooky-spooky fun!" Willow exclaimed, turning to look past Tara and Buffy to see Dawn better. "While he gets that going, let's hear what that has to say about Sagittarius!" she grinned happily.
Dawn ran her finger over the page. "Let's see here… Sagittarius: You are coming off the tails of a great achievement and have good reason to be proud but remember not to get overconfident. Now is a good time to step back and enjoy the simple things in life."
Willow sank back into her seat. "Well, that's lame."
"Not necessarily, there's actually a sound bit of knowledge in returning to basics every so often," Giles replied.
Dawn shrugged and gave a little hum before looking up again. "How about you, Spike, what's your sign?"
He rolled his neck, looking up at her with mild amusement. "Yeah alright, been a while since I've heard one of these. Go on then, tell me what's in store for Cancer."
Dawn's eyebrows went up in surprise which dissipated quickly enough as she read. "Cancer: Don't let your fear of loneliness consume you. Your naturally romantic nature that you normally strive so hard to conceal will have a chance to come to the surface in time."
"Aww, is Spike a lonely romantic?" Xander jeered.
Spike's glare darkened as he snatched the magazine from Dawn's hands. "Hmm… right then, Virgo: you're a nosy brat who needs to recognize when it's best to leave things unsaid and zip your lip'. Would you look at that, spot on," he spat, "Let's see Harris, think I got you pegged as a Pisces… oh here we go. Keep your smart-ass remarks to yourself if you know what's good for ya' and start the bloody film." Spike huffed, adjusting himself against Buffy's leg.
As everyone settled down and the movie began, Buffy couldn't help thinking about the horoscopes Dawn had read them. She had never really taken much stock in astrology for entertainment; having been burned by her fair number of rites, rituals, spells, and the like that she continually seemed to be stumbling upon.
However, Willow's had seemed like spot-on solid advice, and judging by Spike's somewhat volatile response, she would be willing to believe Spike's was pretty accurate as well. Buffy frowned at that. Even when she had invited him over, she hadn't permitted herself to think about what it must be like for Spike to be alone, killing his own kind.
A quagmire of murky thoughts began invading Buffy's mind as she sat there attempting to enjoy the movie with her friends. All the while her attention kept returning to the bleached blonde with his back pressed against her in a way that was far too comfortable. She studied the back of his head, and her fingers itched to run through his messy curls. She dragged her gaze from his hair, to study the side of his face.
She thought knew him well and yet since her return she had been slowly letting herself get to know the man behind the monster and what she had started to find surprised her. How bad would it be if she got to know him better? He was an ally after all. He had learned to play well with her friends and— and had apparently been there for her sister in a much more substantial way than she had realized until that moment.
Regardless of how reluctantly it had happened, Spike really had started to become part of the gang in her absence. A fact she wasn't sure what to do with but couldn't ignore altogether. Yet the moment Buffy had returned, he had retreated back to his crypt and his words from the other night rocked through her, '…you and your band of merry do-gooders. The group which I am so often reminded I am on the outside of, despite everything…'. A rock seemed to settle somewhere in her gut and suddenly the last couple of weeks seemed so much more complex than she originally thought.
It seemed undeniably obvious that her presence, her return, had been the reason for his ostracism and yet they seemed to be coming together on their own. It seemed backward somehow. Unjust. And yet she wasn't entirely sure how to proceed.
Spike laughed along with the rest of her friends at something on the screen and she suddenly realized that she had been zoned out for over three-quarters of the film. She blinked forcefully in an attempt to snap herself out of her stupor and reached forward to grab another handful of chips from the bag in Spike's lap. He turned his head sharply, startled by her movement.
The act caught her off guard. "S-sorry, just getting some chips," she murmured, their faces merely inches from each other.
"It's alright, can just have the bag, I've finished with them," he replied, just as softly as though he were afraid to break the moment even as he handed her the bag.
She sprang back into her seat, taking the chips with her, heart pounding, and eyes wide on the screen as the movie edged to the closing scene and 'Jump in the Line' began to play. Dawn suddenly popped up from her seat and began dancing and singing along to the song.
"Come on guys, get off those butts and shake'em!" Dawn urged.
Willow and Anya joined her, quickly followed by Xander and Tara dancing to the upbeat music as Lydia Deetz did her dance suspended in midair on the screen. Dawn twirled around with her arms in the air, dancing over to Buffy. "Let's go, Buff!"
Buffy shook her head, shifting in her seat. "I'm good. The song is almost over anyway."
Xander dipped Anya over the coffee table reaching for the remote. "That's the beauty of rewind!" he said grinning as he restarted the scene and the music began again.
"I believe your skills are needed on the dance floor," Spike smirked up to Buffy as he shifted himself over.
Buffy rolled her eyes, reluctantly allowing her sister to pull her up to join them. "You too Spike, get up here," Dawn insisted.
"Not on your life, Nibblet," he drawled as Buffy began halfheartedly shimming her hips. His eyes were glued to her movements as she raised her arms above her head making circles in the air with her hands and turned on the spot, rolling her hips as she went. "View is much better from down here anyway," he replied as Buffy turned back toward him, catching his eye.
"Watch it buster," Buffy muttered as she continued her less-than-enthusiastic dance, letting her hands fall as the song played on.
He reclined with his arm resting on his bent knee, eyes following her every move. As much as she didn't want to admit it, there was something about the way he watched her that made her skin prickle pleasantly. It was a feeling she knew she wouldn't be able to shake easily and wondered if she even wanted to.