"So, your ex wasn't just a one night stand…"
"Well…."
After stopping the Apocalypse, which seemed to be a weekly event, Graham had taken Eris to his dorm room to talk. Meeting Spike had made him feel sour, and her lessening her involvement with him didn't sit well with him.
"I wouldn't have cared if he was more than a one night stand, Eris," the Soldier boy was standing in front of Eris who was sitting on his bed, looking sheepish and uncomfortable due to his disapproving look, "I just want to know why?"
She looked down at her hands and began to fidget, "I've been embarrassed about being with him. He hurt Buffy, a lot, and I felt like I betrayed her," she turned her gaze back to him, showing her sadness and sincerity, "I downplay it because it helps ease the disgust I feel with myself, and I guess I subconsciously did it to you, which isn't an excuse I know, but I swear I didn't do it on purpose."
Graham let out a deep sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose, "I can understand your reasonings, but there are better ways to deal with things like this than lying to your boyfriend," he let his arm drop to his side and looked her with a calmer gaze, "you could have broken my trust, Eris."
Hearing those words made tears well up in her eyes, with her thoughtless act she may have just destroyed her relationship, "I'm…I'm so sorry…I really am…" she began to sniffle as her voice began to quaver, "are you going to leave me?"
Graham took a moment to watch her, looking her face over as if looking for any signs she was faking or acting out. He knew she wasn't malicious or manipulative, but his trust was shaken, "no, no I'm not," he moved to sit to her right and wrapped an arm around her waist, "but please don't do this again, relationships have to be built on trust and communication."
Eris laid her head on his shoulder, still sniffling from her crying but feeling slightly better, "I know, and I promise I won't do anything like this ever again."
"I'll hold you to that," He tightened his grip on her arm, a physical show of support, "I probably wouldn't be so emotional about this if your ex didn't act like a jerk, I don't know why but he feels familiar and really rubs me the wrong way."
Eris did her best to not stiffen at his words, knowing his familiarity was probably due to Spike being the escaped vampire they have been hunting down. Luckily her body remained relaxed and he didn't seem to notice any of her worry, "he rubs me the wrong way too, if it wasn't for Buffy constantly intervening I would have killed him by now."
Graham let out a small chuckle at her words, "why do you even have him around?"
"He's good at fighting demons, knows a lot about them too, so beggars can't be choosers."
"Surely there is someone better?"
"Sadly he is also Xander's friend so he is around us regardless."
"Oh you poor poor thing," they both laughed heartily, officially ending their quarrel and easing each other discomfort.
"Can I stay here for the night? I want to cuddle up to you."
"Sure Eris, you can stay over as long as you like."
The gang had decided to go to The Bronze the night after saving the world to enjoy themselves, and hopefully have a night where they didn't have to deal with the big bad or anything lurking in the dark. That's sadly never the case and almost always has something attacking them but you know, they can atleast be hopeful.
Riley and Graham had decided to tag along, which saved the group from having to deal with Spike for the night. His need to tease Eris about her partner was driving her up the wall. Giles would now have to take the entire brunt of the vampires antics. Anya had also stayed away, worrying they would find out she was an ex demon.
"I've actually never been here before," Graham said to the gang as they all took seats on the lounges so everyone could sit near each other and hear over the sounds of the band playing.
"You've been in college for how long and never come to the only bar in town that's not a raging nightclub?" Xander chimed in as he and Riley brought over drinks for everyone, "what do you do for fun?"
"Mostly dorm parties and training," was Grahams simple reply, he wasn't really one to over explain.
"Yea, Xander, The Bronze is great but dorm parties are far more superior," Eris chimed in once she finished sculling her drink, after the night she had, she wanted a buzz going.
Buffy nodded in agreement alongside Riley and Graham, though Willow was the opposite, "hey now, The Bronze has its charm and we have so many memories here!"
"Will, it's a bar that smells like alcohol and body sweat," Buffy shot back with a smirk, "and most of the time we get into fights or murder in here."
"Dorm parties can smell like that too."
"Oh! You're right about that Will," Eris leant against Graham who wrapped an arm around her as she spoke, "one of the Wolf parties had a bunch of bigger guys in tutus do laps up and down the stairs to see who would last the longest, it smelt so bad when they were done."
"Luckily a bunch of the girls had their perfume in their purse," Riley said, remember both smells, "though being at a party that smelt like bubble-gum was strange."
Willow smiled goofily and let out a giggle, "I wish I went, I love the smell of bubble-gum perfume."
Eris scoffed, "bubble-gum perfume is so cheap, its like perfume for kids."
"My Cousin, the rich snob everyone," Buffy said jokingly which earned her a slap on the arm from Eris.
"You are so mean, I just like to have nice things!" Eris whined childishly before hopping up to her feet, "anyone want another round? I'm trying to get tipsy."
Buffy and Xander sculled their drink and raised their hand, "I'll come with," Willow said helpfully as she too stood from the lounge.
"Magic girl time, sweet," Eris chuckled and looped her arm around the Witches before they walked off.
The Bronze was difficult to wade through all the people to get to the bar, people would either refuse to move or just not notice the girls trying to nudge their way past. The joys of a club having $5 happy hour drinks.
After some difficulty, and Eris deciding to be a bitch and full on shove people out of the way, they made it to the bar and bought another round of drinks, "why do people have to be such dicks, like come on, just move!" Eris complained whilst they waited for their drinks to be made.
"It was funny seeing so many girls about to shout before seeing you threatening to punch them," Willow said with a giggle, she was never confrontational to people, so it was fun seeing Eris being violent to annoying women and stubborn boys. It was something she wished she had the confidence to do herself.
"I have no time for stuck up women who think they're too pretty to move."
"Well luckily you're too pretty to be stopped," the Witch replied, before realising what she said, "cause you know, you like to dress up and, you look nice and stuff…"
Eris laughed at the gingers stammering and flushed cheeks, "be careful Willow, cute flirts might make me flirt back."
"I didn't mean to flirt!"
"Hey hey, calm down, its alright, I'm only teasing," she patted Willow's arm in a comforting manner as their drinks arrived, "thank you for the compliment though. Moving on from that though, how do we get the drinks back through the crowd?"
Willow was grateful for Eris' change of subject. She had only recently felt feelings towards women, specifically a girl named Tara in her witch group. It was new and sort of scary.
Once the drinks arrived they both carefully grabbed 3 glasses each in their hands, a little difficult to hold but they managed well enough. "I have no idea how we are getting through the crowd with the-" Eris was cut off abruptly by a person crashing in to her, causing the drinks to spill all over her front and onto the floor, "hey! Watch where you're going!" she shouted as the man turned around.
"Cara? You're alive?" the figure said in surprise as it turned around. Once Eris could get a good look she saw it was a well-muscled man, and probably 6ft or more if she had to guess. He had black hair slicked back, green eyes and pale skin, and with a buttoned up white shirt with long sleeves and black jeans, he looked slightly out of place in a bar setting.
"Cara? Huh?" Eris asked in confusion right as the man grabbed her arms and moved closer to look at her in shock, "hey! Let go!"
"My beloved! You're alive, like the heavens brought you back to me!" he seemed erratic and not altogether, his eyes staring deeply into hers.
She struggled in his tight grip, unable to get away, "I'm not Cara, fuck off!" she shouted but he didn't seem to hear her words.
"Hush now, you're confused Cara, come with me," he started to pull her with him as he walked backwards.
"Let her go!" Willow shouted as she came over to try and pry his hands off Eris.
"Don't touch me you filthy human!" He snapped at Willow and used his hand to quickly shove her off and to the ground before putting it back on Eris.
"Don't touch her you freak!" Eris shouted as she kicked the man in the shin, causing him to let her go.
"Eris!" they heard Buffy shout from behind them, she had seen the strange man try to take Eris away and jumped up to help, shortly followed by the 3 men that sat with her.
Graham had moved to Eris' side and quickly pulled her to him whilst Xander and Riley moved in from of her and Willow. "Are you ok?" Graham asked as he glared daggers at the man who had quickly recomposed himself.
"I'm fine, the creep keeps calling me Cara and wanted to drag me away," Eris held on to Graham tightly, feeling unnerved.
"Cara! Why must you hurt me?!" the strange man shouted hysterically. He tried to go towards Eris but Buffy shoved him back, "how dare you keep me away from my beloved!"
"Touch her and I will break your arm," Buffy acted nonchalant but her muscled were tensed and ready to fight.
"You cannot keep me from my Cara, Slayer!" he hissed and threw a punch right in to Buffy's face, making her stagger back.
"Buffy!" Riley shouted in surprise and sprung into action. He threw his own punch at the strange man and landed it right on the jaw just as Buffy had gotten back up.
"He's a vamp!" The Slayer shouted to the group, which made them form a more defensive barrier between the man and Eris.
He kept desperately trying to get past Riley and Buffy, wanting to get to Eris and only Eris. But the punches and kicks he took from them only made it harder and harder to achieve his desire, "No one will keep me from my beloved!" He shouted as he backed up, ready to flee, "I will make you remember me, Cara! I swear it!" he ran from the club as fast as he could with Riley and Buffy hot on his heels, hoping to stake him.
The rest of the group remained in their positions, not wanting to give the creep an opening to get to Eris, "the hell was that?" Xander asked in concern, eyes darting around and looking at everyone who was staring back at them.
"I have no idea, Willow are you ok?" Eris moved away from Graham and over to Willow who was holding her wrist.
"I landed on my wrist so it's a little achy, but I'm ok," Willow gave a small smile to show she was fine, "what about you?"
"I'm gonna have bruises on my arms from how hard he was holding me, though his words worry me more," Eris rubbed her arm to comfort herself and loosen her very tense muscles. The way he had looked at her in pure obsession and reverence made her uncomfortable, scared even. If it wasn't for Buffy she didn't know what would have happened to her, "He thought I was someone else."
"I don't like that a HST was obsessing over you," Graham said in a gruff voice, his brows were furrowed in anger at the entire situation, "we should wait for Buffy and Riley, hopefully they killed him."
"We did not," was Buffy's reply as her and her boyfriend came over, both looking annoyed, "he got away."
"Great, we have a creepy vampire on the loose who wants to kidnap Eris," Xander scratched his head in frustration as he whined to the group.
"He won't get near her," Buffy promised, hand tightly gripping het stake, "lets get her back to her dorm, I'm staying over tonight."
"Yes please," Eris pleaded to her cousin and moved over to her for safety.
"Graham and I will go to base and put out an alert, get a patrol going," Riley said helpfully, he didn't like this situation but knew protocol should come first.
"I'll come see you early tomorrow," Graham gave a kiss to Eris' forehead and followed the group as they all put themselves around Eris and headed to the dorms.
Tonight once again proved how they could never just have a peaceful night out.