Inell's Fanfiction Archive

Spike felt her soon after he left his crypt. Even without the slayer alarm, he knew her scent well enough to recognize her. He had been half in love with her for over a month after all. He didn't turn around, figuring she'd show her face soon enough. He did admit to being a bit curious as to why she was there. Instead of confronting her, he found his packet of Marlboros and pulled one free, lighting it with a match that he soon tossed to the ground.

Buffy stood by the grave marker, her eyes looking from Spike's back to the sky and back again. She knew that he knew she was there. She wondered why he didn't face her, didn't call her out. She sighed, walking closer to him. "Spike."

"Slayer, what brings you here? Slumming?" Spike asked, turning to face her. He raised an eyebrow when he saw that she was wearing a rather worn T-shirt and an old pair of sweats. "Didn't do the laundry?"

"What?" Buffy asked, looking down and then smiling slightly. "I'm rather tired. Fashion wasn't high on my list when I was dressing."

"I can see that," he remarked before taking a drag from his cigarette. He hated the taste of tobacco. It was one of those things that no one actually knew about him. He'd taken up smoking years before, needing something to do during Drusilla's mood swings. He'd found that it took his mind off of his problems, calmed him in a way, soothed his demon, all that shit. Now, he was a self-claimed addict needing the damn things just to make it through his life. Still hated the taste of tobacco though. Never could quite get over that distaste.

"We aren't here to discuss my wardrobe," Buffy said with a frown as she remembered her purpose for being there in the first place.

"And here I thought you wanted my expertise," he said sarcastically with a roll of his blue eyes.

"You know, I promised her that I wouldn't interfere," Buffy said, ignoring his sarcasm. "I hate breaking my promises."

"Slayer, I may have gone to the Angelus school of cryptic words, but that one even has him beat," Spike said, annoyed that she was delaying him in finding Willow.

"OK. You want me to get straight to the point?" Buffy asked, folding her arms as she studied him intently.

He shifted under her gaze, cursing under his breath, "Bloody hell, slayer, am I on some microscope or something?"

"What did you do?" Buffy asked, watching closely to try to see the truth. She knew Spike well enough to know that he wouldn't be honest. Not with her at least. Too much bad blood and failed crushes and just plain old hatred existing between them. But, she thought that maybe she'd be able to see something in his eyes, that maybe there'd be a second where his true thoughts would show in those blue eyes before he could hide them away.

"Have you been watching those silly game shows again, slayer?" he asked, annoyance flashing again. "Is this the one where I get to call the lifeline?"

"You might need one, depending on your answers to my questions," she said seriously.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he finally asked, moving to sit on a headstone. From the stubborn look on her pretty face, they'd be there awhile.

"Willow," Buffy said, watching as his eyes flashed with several different emotions before becoming cold and hard. Surprised, she leaned back and waited.

"What about her?" Spike asked, looking at the tree behind the slayer.

"What did you do last night?" Buffy asked, tapping her foot as she waited.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he demanded, taking a calming, lengthy drag from his cigarette.

"Spike, I'm not stupid. Just keep your mouth shut. I mean, you've been fucking in my house for weeks. Did you not think I knew? Hello! Slayer here. I trust Willow, she's my best friend. And I did promise to stay out of it as long as she was all right. BUT, this morning, I could tell she'd been crying. She tried to smile and act like everything was fine, but I know her. So, I broke my promise and came here. Now tell me, what the fuck did you do to her?" Buffy demanded.

"She was crying?" he said sharply, his eyes narrowing. "What did you do to her? She was fine when I left. And what do you mean that you've known? You knew and didn't come after me?"

"Trust me, she wasn't crying over me. You see, I'm not the one sneaking into her room every night and fucking her," Buffy said sweetly though her hazel eyes were flashing.

"You sure as fuck better not be," Spike growled, eyes yellow as he glared at her. Willow was upset? He had to see her...to make sure she was OK.

"Spike," Buffy sighed, raking a hand through her thick light brown hair, "I'm not here to fight with you. While I don't approve of her sharing herself with you, that's Willow's decision. It's her body, her heart, her life. I can accept it, and I can accept you. BUT, today, there were tears. I haven't seen her that unhappy since Oz left....Hell, she wasn't even that unhappy then. I just came here to talk to you, to find out what happened. To see if there was anything that I could do to help her."

"I don't understand it," he admitted softly, seeing the truth in her eyes. She just wanted to help. She still hated him, but, for Willow, she'd make a truce. Her love for her friend was one of the few redeeming things about her, he realized. "It was fine, when I left."

"Well, I'd hazard a guess and say that you're wrong," Buffy said, rolling her eyes. "Men. You probably don't even know what you did. I don't know why I bothered to ask."

"Bugger off, then," he said sharply, searching for another cigarette as he strained his memory for a reason Willow might be upset.

"Sorry, can't do that. You see, if I have to accept your place in Willow's life, you've got to accept mine. As her best friend," Buffy said sweetly. "And as her best friend, I'm now going to ask you what exactly your intentions are with her."

"My intentions?" he repeated before laughing. "You've got to be out of your mind. I am not going to sit here and discuss my life with you of all people."

"Hmm...that's too bad," Buffy said, holding a stake in her hands as she smiled, "You see, I promised her I'd stay out of it, not interfere or make any judgments. But, I didn't promise that I wouldn't stake you, say if I came across you snacking on some poor defenseless coed."

"I've got the implant, remember, slayer?" he reminded with a snarl.

"And we're talking about my best friend. Oops, looks like my memory is fading," she said, tossing the stake back and forth between two hands as she waited expectantly.

Spike glared at her, getting up from the tombstone and pacing as he considered telling her to where she could fuck herself. Then, he saw the calm and serious look in her eyes and knew that he'd met his match. Silly damn thing probably would stake him just to keep her friend safe. Then what the hell would she do if she knew how he really felt? He was thinking tied down in a large open space to see the sunlight personally. "It's sex, slayer. You remember that don't you? Two people in lust, the ache to feel each other, skin touching skin, mouths touching mouths, cries of pleasure mixed with pain."

Buffy gulped, almost looking away but caught by the look in his eyes. He was lying. She got a thoughtful look on her face as she asked, "So, sex. That's it? Nothing else?"

"Not a bloody damn thing," he hissed, kicking a tombstone.

Buffy smiled, moving to put the stake away. "You know, I should stake you for lying to me, but I'll forgive you. I mean, you are a vampire after all. I'm sure telling me the truth is a pride thing or something like that. Same way I wouldn't tell you the whole truth either, in your position."

"What the bloody hell are you talking about now?" he demanded, eyes narrowed.

"It's all right, Spike. I'll keep your secret until you're ready to tell her. But, if I find her with tears again, we'll play a new game just for you," Buffy smiled a sincere smile, "how loud can Spikey scream."

"You silly little bint. You're nuts," he cursed, tossing his cigarette to the ground as it burned his fingers. "I don't have any secrets."

"Sure you don't," she agreed with a smile. "Like I said, I won't say a word. My lips are sealed. Thanks for the talk, Spike. I feel much, much better about all this now."

"You've gone insane. I'll go get the watcher. He'll know what to do," Spike said, looking at the slayer as if she was crazy.

"You know what? We now have something in common, don't we?" she said as she started to walk away.

"What's that you crazy bitch?" he called out, shaking his head as she just laughed at his insult.

"Willow, of course," she answered. "Anyway, you'd better get going. She'll be worried if you don't show up soon. Oh, and let's keep this little meeting to ourselves, OK?"

"I sure as fuck don't want anyone to know about it," he said, glaring at her.

"You'd better think about being honest soon, Spike," Buffy said seriously. "Willow's a special person. She doesn't give her heart often, and, when she does, it means something to her. You need to tell her soon."

"Tell her what?" he asked, wondering for a brief moment why he hadn't killed the slayer when he had had the opportunity.

"That you love her, of course," Buffy said with a smile before turning and leaving him frozen with a mixture of denial and acceptance on his handsome face.