The Blossoming Dawn

They sat silently for a moment an awkward silence passing between them.

Dawn finally broke it.

“So um—do you wanna watch a movie or something?”

Spike had to fight off the strong urge to say ‘or something’ and let her see the lust in his eyes, instead he nodded.

“Yeah, got one in mind or?”

“Oh, I was just gonna channel surf. It’s Saturday so there should be some good movies on.”

“Right then”

She turned on the television and sat down beside him on the couch, flipping through the channels.

She stopped it on a black a black and white movie starring Robert Mitchum.

“This was a great movie” Spike said idly, “Cape Fear—a classic.”

Dawn nodded and they silently watched as Robert Mitchum tried cornered the young girl in the boat, lust in his eyes.

Dawn as if realizing what the man wanted made a face.

“Is he like trying to…have his way with her?”

Spike went still for a moment a bit caught off guard by her question.

“Well…yeah he’s a dangerous ex-con and she’s the daughter of his enemy—so part of it is him wanting revenge and making the lawyer who betrayed ‘im suffer and the other reason is—“

“He wants her.”

Spike nodded and their eyes met again.

“Well...yeah.”

“How old is she supposed to be in the movie?”

“Fourteen.”

Dawn made a face again, wrinkling her nose.

“That’ is so illegal and…creepy. He’s so old.”

Spike could not contain his curiosity.

“Don’t like old men?”

“Well…I-I mean if he was really cute but that guy’s not. He’s just creepy and weird.”

“So if the guy was hot you wouldn’t care, then?”

“I-I guess not. But I’m not as young as her I’m more…adult.”

Spike couldn’t help but let out an abrupt laugh and when he stopped Dawn was frowning at him.

“What? I-I am I’m not some fourteen year old little baby who doesn’t know about things.”

She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“Yeah? So how many relationships ‘ave you been in lately? Have you been reading GQ or flipping through Playgirl?”

Dawn did not laugh and crossed her arms tighter across her chest.

“I am NOT a baby or a little girl. I-I kissed Ben! Twice!”

Spike could not hide the amusement on his face.

“Oh…so you had your first kiss then?”

“Yes! Well…kinda—okay so it was my first kiss but I’m not a baby. I-I’m a young adult.”

Spike put his hands up in mock defense.

“Okay, okay. Didn’t mean to brass you off. You’re not a baby. I know that you certainly don’t ‘ave a little girl’s body.”

He went quiet knowing he should not have said it, dreading the look of fear or confusion that would come to her face.

She was silent for a moment her face turning crimson and a small smile on her lips.

“Um—I-I didn’t think you noticed stuff like that---about me.”

“Yeah well…it’s hard not to—you’re growing up and you get prettier every day.”

Dawn could not hide the smile that crept to her lips, her eyes sparkled.

Spike was quiet a moment then spoke—ready to be bold, ready to speak to her as if she really were an adult.

“Do you ever notice things about me, Dawn?”

She took a deep breath at her name on his lips. He had never called her Dawn—he had always called her cute little pet names.

She saw his eyes staring straight at her with the same rawness and intensity as before.

“I—maybe I notice things about you…sometimes.”

“Like what? Tell me, Dawn?”

She took another deep breath and her eyes flicked to the wall beside him—unable to look into his eyes.

“Y-Your smile and y-your eyes...and the way your eyes twinkle when you laugh…and the way your lips curl into a smirk…when you’re thinking about naughty things…things you shouldn’t think about…”

She trailed off and they were both silent for a moment.

“You noticed all that? Do you watch me, Dawn?”

“I—I used to w-when you were here all the time.”

She still would not meet his eyes.

“It’s nice to know you find me so interesting,”

His lips curled into a teasing smile.

They both turned back to the movie just as Robert Mitchum cornered the poor girl and grabbed her trying to ravage her.

It gave Spike so many ideas—so many naughty thoughts and images flooded into his mind.

“How was the kiss with lover boy?”

Dawn gave a slight jump of her body, startled and taken aback by his question.

“Well…I guess it was good…it was my first and…his first.”

At Dawn’s words a wonderfully naughty idea came to him.

An urge he could not deny.

“Do you wonder what it would be like to kiss someone who’s experienced at it?”

Dawn did not answer but her breathing became more rapid.

“If you did then you could compare the kisses or maybe—practice.”

She finally turned facing him but did not look in him in the eyes. Instead her eyes rested upon the same spot of the wall beside her.

“Who w-would I kiss?” she asked naively.

Spike came closer and took her chin between to fingers, turning her face towards him and forcing there eyes to meet.

He could feel her body trembling and her heart beating faster, her pulse racing as he moved closer until they were mere inches apart.