Chapter 26
She gasped for air, when their lips parted. Wide eyed, she looked up to find his face hovering a few inches from hers. His lips were swollen, his mouth half open as he too struggled with a hectic, accelerated breathing. His glazed stare seemed to take in every single feature of her face, alternating from her eyes to her wet lips and back again.
When he moved in, her hands, on his chest, halted him.
“No.” She breathed out, pushing him off of her.
“Why not?”
“Why not?” She repeated outraged, sitting up on the bed; her shaky hands coming up to clumsily straighten her hair.
“Yeah, why not?”
She dropped her hands, her eyes wide in disbelief.
“You’re my roommate’s *boyfriend*!” She exclaimed.
“Oi, I’m no one’s boyfriend. And bring it down a notch, you’ll wake up Red.” He retorted.
“I think Harmony would disagree with you on that.” Buffy replied sarcastically in a lower voice.
“Harm knows exactly what she and I have. Never said I was her anything.”
Buffy’s facial muscles contracted in disgust.
“You’re a pig, Spike.” She stood up. Pulling down her shirt she added: “Harmony really likes you!”
“Harmony’s too in love herself to like anyone else.” He sighed, laying back on the bed and closing his eyes for a second.
“How can you say that?!”
“You’re gonna tell me you don’t think Harm’s self-centred?” He spoke, rolling on his side and propping his head on his hand.
“Well…” She hesitated. “Maybe, she’s a little self-centred.”
“A little?”
“Ok, a lot!” Buffy admitted. “But that doesn’t mean she can’t fall in love.”
“Since when do you care? I thought you and all your Scooby friends hated her.”
“How do you know that?” Buffy frowned.
There was a hint of hesitation, before his nonchalant reply:
“It’s pretty obvious you’re not exactly Harm’s best pal.”
Buffy stared at him. She didn’t find his answer very convincing but there were so many issues swimming around in her head she couldn’t focus on just this one. Her gaze fell on the rustled sheets.
‘Who would have thought, today, of all days, Harmony would decide to make her bed.’ Buffy wondered as she started to pull the covers to straighten them. It didn’t have the desired effect: ‘Specially with boink-boy sprawling on the bed.’
“Do you mind?” She asked sardonically.
“Changing the subject are we?” He replied without moving.
“I’m not changing the subject, I just don’t want Harmony coming home and finding her bedspread all messy.” Buffy retorted as she continued with her impossible task. “Just get off the bed.”
He didn’t move. With a sigh she sat down.
“Even if I hated Harm I would never… um…” She failed to find the best way to say it: “never… um…” She shifted awkwardly on the mattress before blurting out: “Never do anything with you!”
“It’s a little late for that, luv.” He half-purred.
The bridge of her nose furrowed.
“Nothing *else* is happening between us.”
“Why not?” His scarred eyebrow jumped up.
“Well, let me see.” She paused theatrically, pretending to be immersed in thought before adding: “Oh, that’s right – because you’re a repulsive pig and I hate you.”
“You didn’t seem too repulsed a minute ago.” He sat up and moved closer to her, his eyes trailing down her body, causing her to instinctually cross her arms over her chest for protection from his intruding gaze. “Or on the couch. You seemed quite…”
“Don’t say it!” She warned him; her lips threateningly set in a straight line.
“Don’t say what? That I, the repulsive pig that you hate so much, made you co-“
With one smooth motion her hand was covering his mouth, the swift motion causing him to fall back on the mattress carrying her with him.
It took a few seconds for her brain to register she was now straddling his waist, one hand on his chest, the other over his mouth. She froze when she felt his hands gripping her thighs… and something hard pressing against the inside of her leg.
She was off of him in record time, standing as far away from the bed as possible.
“God, can’t he keep it down?”
She froze when the sound of her own voice reached her ears. ‘Did I say that out loud?’
The half grin on his face answered her: ‘Yes.’
She felt her cheeks burn and she dropped her gaze to the floor, knowing her face was probably bright red right now.
“Why won’t you admit it, Summers?”
She took some time to gather the courage to face him before, looking up defiantly.
“Admit to what exactly?”
“I get you all hot and bothered.” He grinned.
“You *do not* get me hot and bothered.” She snapped outraged.
“I don’t?” He asked in a semi-mocking tone as he stood up and walked a few steps toward her.
“No, you don’t.” It didn’t come out as confident as she would have liked it.
“‘Cause I’m just a disgusting…”
“…pig.” She completed his sentence, taking a step back.
“Right. I think you’ve said that once or twice.” He continued to cross the room in a slow pace.
Buffy held her breath when she felt her back touch the door. No more backtracking.
“Anything else?” He questioned closing in on her until he was standing a few inches from her, forcing her to look up in order to meet his gaze.
“Anything…?” She half-gulped.
“Besides the disgusting pig part.” He explained, looking down at her and putting his right hand on the door just over her shoulder.
She swallowed hard before uttering:
“Not that I can remember.”
“So disgusting pig about covers it?” He continued in a low voice as he leaned down, closing the distance between them so that only a thin veil of air separated their mouths.
She nodded.
Instinctively, she closed her eyes and though her mind shouted at her: ‘Stop this!’ she paid no attention to it. She simply stood there, heart racing, pulling short hectic breaths into her lungs and waited for him to move. And he did. It felt like a punch to the stomach when he pushed off the door and spoke:
“Well, then. I better go.”
“What?” Her eyes snapped open to see him with his hand on the doorknob.
“See you, Summers.”
She stumbled forward a bit when he opened the door and left. After a few seconds she was in the living room, watching as he picked up his cigarettes off the coffee table and put them into the pocket of his duster.
“Where are you going?”
“Home.” He replied straightening his duster before opening the front door and leaving.
Buffy frowned, standing alone in the middle of the living room; her mind wondering what just happened.
~+~
Spike gasped, forehead leaning on the other side of the door to her apartment.
“Bloody hell!” He growled in a low voice.
That had been one of the hardest things he ever had to do.
“Bugger, bugger, bugger. Fuck!” He cursed as he continued to breathe hard.
Standing up straight, he ran his hands over his face and across his hair, before looking up at the ceiling.
“Just keep it together.” He ordered himself before pushing the elevator button.
~+~
Buffy jumped up off the couch when she heard the front door open.
‘He’s back.’ She thought as she turned around to see Harmony walking in.
“Buffy! You waited up for me? That’s so sweet!” She exclaimed gingerly.
“Yeah.” Buffy half-muttered, half-frowned: ‘Am I sorry it’s not him?’
“Are you ok?”
Buffy shook her head and looked up to see Harmony drop her bag on the couch and flop down next to it.
“Yeah, fine.” She said unconvincingly before adding, in a more enthusiastic tone: “Of course I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?” She swallowed hard and walked around the couch into the kitchenette, pretending she was busy with some chore.
‘Not that there’re any left. I’ve used them all on Spike. No more chores to keep Harmony at bay.’
“You sound funny.” Harmony insisted.
“Probably getting a cold.” Buffy offered without meeting her roommate’s gaze. She couldn’t.
‘How can I? I just made out with her boyfriend on the same couch she’s sitting on. No, worse – I almost made out with Spike on her bed… Oh, my God! I forgot about the bed!’
“Well, I’m going to bed.” Harmony yawned, getting up off the couch and walking over to the corridor.
In a flash, Buffy was standing in front of her, blocking her way.
“N-no, don’t go to bed, it’s early!” Buffy stuttered nervously.
“It’s midnight. I’ve got classes tomorrow.” Harmony replied with a frown.
“So? Since when do you go to classes?”
“I *do* go to my classes. I just don’t go the ones with the really old, boring professors.” Harmony said matter-of-factly.
“And tomorrow’s an exception because?” Buffy continued, nervously pressing the palms of her hands together.
“Because Professor Walsh can’t make it and her gorgeous PA is going to lecture in her place.” Harmony answered with a dreamy look on her face.
“What about Spike?” It was out of Buffy’s mouth before she could stop it.
“What about Spike?”
Buffy was still too shocked by her reaction to give her an immediate reply.
“Well…” She struggled. “Aren’t you two… seeing each other?”
“Of course we are. That doesn’t mean I can’t gawk at Riley. He’s super cute, plus he’s captain of the football team. Do you know what being part of his social circle would do for my reputation? Plus, I’m not married to my Blondie Bear.” She shrugged.
Buffy cringed at the nickname. Too dumbfounded by the poor logic, she didn’t even notice Harmony until she has walked passed her. Fortunately, the ex-cheerleader opted for the bathroom instead of her bedroom.
Quickly, Buffy was in and out of the room just in time to see Harmony walk back out into the corridor.
“Goodnight.” Harmony said before entering her room.
“Night.” Buffy mumbled back.
~+~
Buffy winced in pain as she slowly drifted back into awareness and woke up in an awkward position on the couch. She blinked a couple of times, trying to focus her gaze at the same time as she tried to recall just how she had ended up here. Slowly, she remembered. After checking on Willow, she had gone back to the living room, zapped through a few channels while her mind insisted on replaying the events of that evening in her head.
All she had wanted was to get home and soak in the tub; instead she got… too much for one night.
Shaking her head she sat up on the couch and found a folded piece of paper on the coffee table. She picked it up and opened it to find a note from Willow:
‘Thanks for last night. I really needed someone to talk to.
Woke up to find you sleeping on the couch and didn’t have the heart to wake up.
I’ll see you later.
Willow’
With a sigh, Buffy stood up and dragged her feet all the way to the bathroom.
~+~
Buffy sighed with relief when she stepped out of the auditorium. It was the last exam of the semester. She was officially on vacation.
The exam season had been really rough on her. She had spent about 8 hours a day locked up in her room studying. The only time when she would go out would be to for her shift at “The Expresso Pump” or to go to an exam. She hadn’t even had time to go home for the weekends. Yes, it had been hell on hearth but she was pretty sure she had passed every one of her classes.
‘A miracle.’ She thought dragging her feet across the pavement as she walked to the coffee shop.
“Hey, kiddo. How was the exam? Think you nailed it?” Her boss asked from behind the counter as she sat on one of the barstools.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I did.” She breathed putting down her backpack on the seat next to her.
“Congratulations. Always knew you could do it.” Whistler replied with a smile. “So, what are you having? It’s on the house.”
“You’re giving away a free drink?” Buffy asked suspicious.
“I’m in a good mood, take advantage of it.”
“I’ll have a soda.”
“One soda, comin’ up.” Whistler said, picking up a glass from behind the counter and pouring the cold beverage into it. “You going home for the holidays, then?”
“Yeah, my mom’s coming by tomorrow to pick me up at the apartment.” She replied taking a sip from the drink Whistler had just set on the counter in front of her.
“Good for you. You still want the job for the next semester?”
“If you’ll still have me.” Buffy replied with half a smile over her lips. She was exhausted, even smiling was too draining.
“What? My number one waitress? Could never give you up.” Whistler answered with a grin.
“Number one waitress? How many glasses did I break my first week?”
“25.”
“How many screwed up orders?”
“Lost count after the first 30.” He answered back. “But you’ve come a long way. Been over a month since you’ve broken anything or botched up an order.”
“Thanks, Whistler.” Buffy gave him a genuine smile.
“You’re welcome.” He said, walking away to take an order from another customer.
“Buffster!” Xander’s familiar voice echoed just behind her.
Buffy turned to see her old friend and his girlfriend standing behind her.
“Xander. Anya.”
“The exam?” Xander asked.
“Passed.”
“That’s my girl.”
“Hey, I thought I was your girl.” Anya voiced her protest.
“Ah! Are you jealous?” Xander asked in a babyish tone while she pouted.
“No.” She replied immediately as Buffy rolled her eyes.
They had been this way all week. With them, it was circular. They would fight, break up, make up and be nauseatingly affectionate with one another for an entire week. After a while, it was back to square one – fighting.
“So, you’re free for the next few weeks, huh?” Xander focused his attention back on his high-school friend.
“Yep. Free as a bird, to do…well, things that unoccupied people do.” Buffy replied.
“Things like Friday-night-moviethons at the Summers’ place?” Xander asked hopeful.
“Mom already bought the microwave popcorn for next week.”
“That’s what I like to hear. Is Willow coming?”
“Not sure, haven’t really talked to her much since…”
Since the busy night at her apartment. That’s what she called it -the busy night.
“Since about two weeks back. Exam season started and we really didn’t have time to see each other.”
She had called Willow the day after “the busy night”. She had sounded a lot better. Apparently, she had talked to Tara and everything had been straightened out. When Buffy asked what had been the cause of their fight, she’d hesitated and somehow changed the subject. Buffy hadn’t insisted. If she didn’t want to talk about it she wasn’t going to force the issue.
“But I’m gonna call her. See if she can come.” Buffy explained taking one last sip from her drink before getting up off the stool. “Where are you guys heading?”
“We’re going to find Xander a new bed. We broke the other one.” Anya answered promptly while Xander held his breath.
When she didn’t add anything he sighed in relief.
“See? I can do it.” Anya said excitedly.
“What?” Xander asked with a frown.
“I can avoid the inconvenient subjects and not expose our sex life. I could have said that we had broken the bed while playing “Dirty Horseback Riding Jane” but I didn’t.” She explained triumphantly while Xander rolled his eyes and Buffy cringed at the mental pictures swimming around in her head.
“You just did it, Anya!” Xander protested.
“Did what?”
Xander widened his eyes at her.
“Because I mentioned the sex game?” She asked a bit confused.
“Yes!” He exclaimed.
“Well, I just mentioned it. I didn’t say anything about the red boots or the wooden spoon I use to-“
She was cut off by Xander’s hand over her mouth.
“We’re going.” He announced while Anya voiced her muffled protests.
“Good idea. See you Friday?” Buffy smiled.
“Friday.” Xander repeated as he walked away and dragged his girlfriend with him.